What Josie Gibson’s Lipoedema Story Reveals: How the Right Compression Can Help

We recently watched Josie Gibson’s conversation about lipoedema on This Morning, and it resonated strongly with what we hear from our customers.

Watch the full interview here:

She spoke about heavy, swollen, aching legs, easy bruising and feeling that her lower body simply does not match the rest of her, all while trying to keep going with everyday life.

At Daylong, as a specialist compression retailer, we speak every day to people living with lipoedema. The themes are very similar:

• persistent heaviness and discomfort in the legs and hips
• tenderness and bruising from the slightest knock
• clothes that never seem to fit properly
• and a sense that something is wrong, even when you are doing “all the right things”

As Dr Wolf explained in the interview, lipoedema can be difficult to diagnose. There is no simple blood test, symptoms can be mistaken for other conditions, and many women spend years being told to “just lose weight” before finally getting a name for what they are experiencing. Access to specialist treatment is limited, and in the meantime, you are left trying to manage daily symptoms and protect your legs as best you can.

That is why one detail in Josie’s story particularly caught our attention. Long before she had a formal diagnosis of lipoedema, she had already turned to compression gym wear because it made her legs feel more supported and more comfortable on long days. From what we know about lipoedema, that instinct is very understandable: the right kind of consistent, gentle compression can help ease heaviness and support the tissues, and is one of the recognised tools for managing lipoedema day to day.

Over time, we have seen many women follow a similar path: they discover that some compression helps, but then struggle with garments that are too tight, too medical‑looking or simply not made with lipoedema in mind. That is why we have created a dedicated lipoedema range within one of the widest selections of compression we offer.

In this range, you will find products chosen specifically for lipoedema:

• Solidea Be You Opaque Shaping Leggings (15–21 mmHg) – soft Italian micromassage fabric, gentle graduated compression and opaque, flattering designs that look like everyday leggings rather than medical wear. For someone like Josie, who is used to compression gym wear, this can be a natural entry point into specialist support for lipoedema and an option to consider for early management and prevention.

• LipoCare® Strong Class 2 Leggings (23–32 mmHg) – higher‑containment leggings designed to support tissues and help manage more pronounced heaviness and swelling associated with lipoedema, alongside guidance from a healthcare professional.

For us, the most important change is not just in switching to a different brand of leggings, but in what happens when lipoedema‑focused compression becomes part of everyday life: less heaviness by the evening, more comfort moving around, and a sense that you are doing something concrete to support your legs.
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⁠If Josie’s story reminded you of yourself (or someone you know with lipoedema) it might be worth looking beyond general sports compression.

Starting with a Solidea Be You style from our lipoedema range could be a gentle way to move from “compression that helps a little” to specialist support chosen specifically for life with lipoedema, and perhaps a small step towards protecting leg health for the future.