Doja Cat recently opened up about the drastic changes in her appearance over the years and shed light on her physical insecurities as a performer.
In a late-night TikTok video posted on March 9, the rapper explained that she chose to have fat removed from her lower body in 2023 due to concerns about potential lipedema.
Cat stated that she had an “epiphany” about her body after knowing about lipedema, a condition that mostly affects women and causes abnormal fat buildup, most often in the legs and arms.
The pop star revealed that the condition might explain why she always felt her body looked and felt different. She also noted that her mother may also have lipedema, as the condition appears to run in her family.
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According to experts, lipedema can be mild, causing small changes in the skin, or more serious, leading to swelling and trouble walking. This chronic, progressive condition typically has several stages.
Delayed diagnosis or improper treatment can reduce quality of life and cause stress, potentially leading to body image or mental health concerns.
Initially, Doja Cat believed the appearance of her legs was due to cellulite. However, after viewing images of others with the condition online, she immediately recognized similarities with her own struggles.
“I always thought that it was cellulite,” she added. “I was probably at, like, stage one or stage two. And it looks exactly like my legs. Like this looks… These legs look like my legs,”
According to E! News, the Grammy winner recalled feeling self-conscious about her body proportions for years. She revealed that her lower body parts started filling out during her teenage years while her waist remained smaller in size.
She admitted that people often stared at her body, which made her uncomfortable. “I always wondered if something was wrong with me,” Cat added.
According to PEOPLE Magazine, Doja Cat also remembered filming her 2018 music video for Go to Town, when costume designers questioned her measurements. She recalled ordering a latex bodysuit for the shoot, and the makers were surprised after she gave them her measurements.
‘You’re not… This isn’t real. Like, your measurements aren’t real,” she said. “I had no clue, and nobody brought up lipedema to me.”
The LA native said that she was never dangerously overweight. Still, she had a lot of excess skin due to the condition, which made her thighs, knees and ankles look out of shape and bigger than usual.
Doja Cat is explaining that she may suffer from chronic fat buildup disorder lipedema. On Monday (March 11), the Grammy winner posted a TikTok after having an “epiphany” about her body and shared that she struggled from excess lower body weight. #dojacat #lipidema pic.twitter.com/678aibcN5T
— IBTimes UK (@IBTimesUK) March 13, 2026
Doja Cat underwent liposuction three years ago. The procedure helped her reduce and manage areas such as her thighs, hips, and lower back. However, she initially left her buttocks unchanged.
Looking back, the singer said the results did not turn out as she expected. After the surgery, she felt the remaining proportions of her body looked unbalanced, which led her to undergo another procedure.
Cat acknowledged that multiple surgeries left her with loose skin due to previously accumulated fat. She expressed that, as a public figure who’s part of the visual medium, the results of liposuction continue to affect how she feels about her appearance.
