Lipedema Awareness Month 2026!

This Lipedema Awareness Month, the Foundation is focused on Lipedema Literacy, a month-long education campaign designed to:

  • Address widespread misinformation and underdiagnosis

  • Empower patients without placing the burden of advocacy solely on them

  • Reinforce the Lipedema Foundation as a trusted, science-driven authority advancing real progress

Each week, the Lipedema Foundation will be publishing new articles and resources for the community.

What Is Lipedema? Understanding This Chronic Condition

Lipedema is a chronic condition that occurs almost exclusively in women, causing bilateral, symmetrical buildup of painful fat in the legs, arms, and sometimes the lower trunk. Often confused with obesity or lymphedema, Lipedema is a distinct medical condition that remains widely underdiagnosed.

Common lipedema symptoms include pain, tenderness, swelling, easy bruising, and a nodular texture beneath the skin that may feel like rice, peas, or walnuts. Lipedema typically starts or worsens during times of hormonal change such as puberty, pregnancy, or menopause.

New to Lipedema? Visit our Educational Resources page for free downloadable guides, including the Clinician’s Guide to Lipedema, Treatment Diagram, Patient Self-Advocacy Guide, and more.

Key facts about Lipedema:

• Lipedema is a recognized medical condition, though it does not yet have a dedicated ICD-10 code; related codes such as R60.9, E88.2, and E65 are often used for medical charting.

• Research suggests Lipedema may affect up to 11% of women worldwide, though the true number remains unknown due to widespread underdiagnosis.

• Lipedema fat is more resistant to diet, exercise, diuretics, and bariatric surgery than unaffected fat.

• Lipedema often runs in families and starts or worsens at times of hormonal change.

• Early diagnosis and treatment, including conservative treatments like compression, manual lymphatic drainage, and tailored exercise, can significantly improve quality of life.

Visit our Clinicians Resources page for more information on diagnosing and treating Lipedema, or find a specialist through our Lipedema Provider Directory.

Join the Lipedema Awareness Movement This June

June is Lipedema Awareness Month, and the best way to help is to spread the word. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, or healthcare provider, your voice raises awareness and supports earlier diagnosis for millions of women living with undiagnosed Lipedema.

2026 Lipedema Awareness Month Toolkit

How to use the Toolkit:

This toolkit helps clinicians, advocates, community members, and people with Lipedema participate in Lipedema Awareness Month by sharing accurate educational content throughout June.

The toolkit includes social media copy, customizable graphics, and engagement tools designed to make participation easy while creating consistent awareness messaging across the month. Content is organized around weekly awareness themes, and we encourage participants to share posts that align with each week’s focus to help reinforce key messages across the broader community.

This year’s weekly themes are:

  • All Month: Educational Resources – Share free educational materials that help increase awareness in clinical and community settings

  • Week 1: Know the Signs – Help improve recognition by sharing information about common signs and symptoms

  • Week 2: Improve Diagnosis – Raise awareness about diagnostic delays and the importance of clinician education

  • Week 3: Care & Support – Highlight informed care, symptom management, support resources, and quality of life

  • Week 4: Research & the Future – Emphasize the role of research in improving understanding, diagnosis, and treatment

Toolkit Assets


PROFILE PICTURE TEMPLATE:
We created this customizable profile image template to make it easy to show your support during Lipedema Awareness Month. Open the Canva link, upload your own photo, adjust the placement within the frame, and download the finished graphic for use as your profile picture across social platforms.

STORY TEMPLATES:
We created these fill-in-the-blank Instagram Story templates to make it easy to participate in Lipedema Awareness Month. Open the Canva link, customize the prompt by adding your own text to complete the thought, then share the finished Story with your audience. Feel free to personalize your response with your professional perspective, advocacy voice, or personal reflections.

GRAPHICS:
This toolkit includes customizable graphics to help you participate in Lipedema Awareness Month with clear, consistent visuals. Post them to your socials with the corresponding weekly captions, and make sure to tag us!

How to Post:

Each weekly section includes suggested social media copy organized by audience:

  • Clinician Voice: Designed for healthcare professionals sharing with peers, especially on LinkedIn and X

  • Patient / Advocate Voice: Designed for people with Lipedema, advocates, and community members sharing on Facebook and Instagram

For consistent participation throughout the month:

  • Share 1 educational resource post each week

  • Share 1–2 posts aligned with that week’s awareness theme

  • Use Story templates throughout the month for additional engagement

  • Update your profile image for the duration of June

Every post helps expand awareness, improve recognition, and support the Lipedema community. Be sure to tag us and use #LipedemaAwarenessMonth2026 in your posts!

Lipedema Literacy through video

The Lipedema Foundation's YouTube channel features educational videos from researchers, clinicians, and patients sharing their experiences with Lipedema. Watch the featured videos below, and subscribe to our channel for ongoing updates throughout Lipedema Awareness Month and beyond.