Some may have no symptoms whatsoever until late. Progressive increase in the lower body, i.e., the buttocks, thighs, legs and in certain women the arms and even forearms which are relatively resistant to diet and exercises is a characteristic feature of lipedema. The face neck chest and abdomen reduces with diet and exercises. Continuous dull aching pain with or without pressure, heaviness in the lower limbs, easy fatigability, easy bruising, spider veins and varicose veins are some other features of lipedema.

One of the classical signs is the appearance of wrist and ankle cuffs because lipedema abruptly stops at the ankle and wrist. As the disease progresses the severity of varicose veins may increase giving pain and burning sensation and other symptoms of varicose veins. Excessive deposition of fat in the hips and the inner thigh and around the knee joints could result in knock knees and over pronation of ankles leading to early arthritis and joint degeneration. Some women have hyper mobile and hyper flexible joints which also add to additional damage to the already prone degenerating joints