Acquired Lipodystrophy
Acquired Lipodystrophy
Your Guide to
Acquired Lipodystrophy
Your doctor may prescribe a lotion or cream to lighten and soften dark skin patches. Over-the-counter bleaches and skin scrubs probably won't work and could irritate the skin.
As your child gets older, she may be able to get plastic surgery to help fill out her face with skin grafts from her thighs, belly, or scalp. Doctors can also use implants and injections of fillers to help reshape facial features. People with APL who have extra fat deposits can use liposuction to get rid of some, but fat may build up again. Talk to your doctor about what approach for her appearance makes sense and when.
Because this condition affects how you look, care and compassion are as important as medicine. Focus on keeping your child healthy and being supportive.
Set the tone for others. Be positive and open-minded. People may not know how to react or what to say, so they don't pry or offend or embarrass you and your child. When someone asks about her, be matter-of-fact about her condition.
Do what you can to boost her self-esteem. Try to focus your praise on achievements, rather than appearance.
Encourage friendships. But kids will be kids, so prepare her for unkind looks and words with role-play and humor.
Consider professional counseling. Someone with training can help your child and your family sort out their feelings as they deal with the challenges of this disease.
Over time, people with AGL can lose most or all of their body fat. With APL, it typically stops after a few years.
In general, the more fat you lose, the more serious the condition is. Yet many people with lipodystrophy live active, productive lives.
You'll need to work closely with your doctor to prevent complications. For example, people with AGL are likely to have heart and liver problems. Diabetes can be hard to control. They might develop autoimmune disorders such as vitiligo (light-colored spots of skin), rheumatoid arthritis, and a kind of hepatitis.
People with APL probably won't have the insulin-related problems that often come with AGL. But it can lead to kidneys that don't work well or at all, and drusen, tiny fat deposits in the back of the eyes that may be connected to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Women may get extra fat on their hips and thighs. APL is linked to autoimmune disorders, too, including rheumatoid arthritis and celiac disease.
Researchers are studying lipodystrophy, and they may find more treatment options.
Acquired Lipodystrophy
Treatment continued...
Your Guide to
Acquired Lipodystrophy
- What Is Acquired Lipodystrophy?
- Causes
- Symptoms
- Getting a Diagnosis
- Questions for Your Doctor
- Treatment
- Taking Care of Your Child
- What to Expect
- Getting Support
Your doctor may prescribe a lotion or cream to lighten and soften dark skin patches. Over-the-counter bleaches and skin scrubs probably won't work and could irritate the skin.
As your child gets older, she may be able to get plastic surgery to help fill out her face with skin grafts from her thighs, belly, or scalp. Doctors can also use implants and injections of fillers to help reshape facial features. People with APL who have extra fat deposits can use liposuction to get rid of some, but fat may build up again. Talk to your doctor about what approach for her appearance makes sense and when.
Taking Care of Your Child
Because this condition affects how you look, care and compassion are as important as medicine. Focus on keeping your child healthy and being supportive.
Set the tone for others. Be positive and open-minded. People may not know how to react or what to say, so they don't pry or offend or embarrass you and your child. When someone asks about her, be matter-of-fact about her condition.
Do what you can to boost her self-esteem. Try to focus your praise on achievements, rather than appearance.
Encourage friendships. But kids will be kids, so prepare her for unkind looks and words with role-play and humor.
Consider professional counseling. Someone with training can help your child and your family sort out their feelings as they deal with the challenges of this disease.
What to Expect
Over time, people with AGL can lose most or all of their body fat. With APL, it typically stops after a few years.
In general, the more fat you lose, the more serious the condition is. Yet many people with lipodystrophy live active, productive lives.
You'll need to work closely with your doctor to prevent complications. For example, people with AGL are likely to have heart and liver problems. Diabetes can be hard to control. They might develop autoimmune disorders such as vitiligo (light-colored spots of skin), rheumatoid arthritis, and a kind of hepatitis.
People with APL probably won't have the insulin-related problems that often come with AGL. But it can lead to kidneys that don't work well or at all, and drusen, tiny fat deposits in the back of the eyes that may be connected to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Women may get extra fat on their hips and thighs. APL is linked to autoimmune disorders, too, including rheumatoid arthritis and celiac disease.
Researchers are studying lipodystrophy, and they may find more treatment options.
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