The Piazza Center for Plastic Surgery and Advanced Skin Care
5920 W. William Cannon Drive
Mesa Oaks Building Seven, Suite 200
Austin, TX 78749
Phone: (512) 288-8200
Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
CoolSculpting®
Even the fittest among us are often bothered by bulges of stubborn fat that stick around despite hours at the gym. CoolSculpting in Austin, Texas, at The Piazza Center is a non-surgical body contouring option that’s been cleared by the FDA to reduce these fat deposits without surgery – revealing a slimmer, more refined silhouette that you can enjoy indefinitely. You can target your midsection, thighs, or even a double chin with our range of treatment applicators.
At The Piazza Center, we believe that beautiful results are enhanced by leading a healthy lifestyle. Our aim is to help you achieve your cosmetic goals and desires. If you live in or around Austin and CoolSculpting interests you, request an in-person or virtual consultation online, or call or office at (512) 288-8200.
How Do They Compare?
CoolSculpting, Liposuction & Tummy Tuck
| CoolSculpting® | Liposuction | Tummy Tuck | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it Does | Removes fat from the midsection, back, “love handles,” or thighs (20% to 25% fat reduction with each treatment) | Removes larger volume of fat from the abdomen, back, flanks, thighs, calves, arms, neck, or elsewhere | Removes excess fat and skin from the abdomen and tightens ab muscles (great after pregnancy or weight loss) |
| Surgical or Non-surgical | Non-surgical | Surgical | Surgical |
| Anesthesia | None | General | General |
| Procedure Time | 1 to 3 hours, depending on the area | About 2 hours, depending on the area | 2 to 3 hours |
| Procedure Location | In our office | Stonegate Surgery Center | Stonegate Surgery Center |
| Recovery Time | None | 1 to 2 weeks | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Back to High-Impact Exercise | Immediately | 3 to 4 weeks | 6 to 8 weeks |
| Results Appear | After 2 to 4 months | After 6 to 12 weeks | After a few months |
| Cost | $$ | $$ | $$$ |
Your CoolSculpting Procedure
At The Piazza Center, CoolSculpting is performed right here in our office, and it doesn’t require anesthesia. Once you arrive and sign in, a member of our staff will lead you to a private treatment area, where you can make yourself comfortable. Many patients bring books, magazines, or their tablets to read, browse the Internet, or catch up on work during their treatments.
Once you’re ready, Dr. Piazza or a qualified member of our medical team applies a cool gel pad to your skin to help regulate the temperature during treatment. Your practitioner then applies the CoolSculpting device to the treatment area. CoolSculpting is effective on the following parts of the body:
- Abdomen (belly fat, belly pooch, love handles, muffin top)
- Flanks (love handles, spare tire)
- Thighs (saddlebags)
- Under the chin (double chin)
There are different treatment applicators that we use for different areas. If you want to treat a “pinchable” bulge of fat, common on the abdomen and flanks, we choose the applicator that uses suction to draw up a bulging area of fatty tissue into a specially shaped treatment head. Using cryolipolysis, CoolSculpting targets and chills only fat cells, leaving the surrounding tissue unharmed. In order to be effective, the targeted fat must remain at a sustained low temperature. We tell patients to plan for about an hour per treatment area. During this time, you’ll feel suction as your unwanted fat is pulled into the device and then a sensation of intense cold, which soon dissipates as the area becomes numb.
If your goals include building muscle tone in addition to reducing fat, you may want to consider EMSCULPT NEO® treatments at our practice. The procedure combines 2 types of energy in a single treatment.
Purchase Your CoolSculpting Treatments In Our Online Store Today!
Can CoolSculpting Treat Non-Pinchable Fat?
If you want to treat an area of “non-pinchable” fat, common on the outer thighs, we use the slightly different CoolSmooth™ applicator. The process is very similar, except there is no suction with this applicator. Instead, it has cooling plates that are placed flat against the skin. These treatments produce a similar numbing sensation and equally effective results, but they take 2 to 3 hours per area.
Real Patients. Real Stories
Helping Our Patients to Live Confidently
Find out what it's like to be a patient of The Piazza Center. Review the stories and "after" photos of some of the plastic surgery patients who've shared their experiences with us.
View StoriesCoolMini for a Double Chin
For both men and women, having a double chin is a common aesthetic concern. The accumulation of fat just below the chin — called submental fat — is a stubborn nuisance that can detract from your overall attractiveness. People who want a stronger profile come to The Piazza Center, one of the first practices in Austin to offer the special CoolMini treatment applicator.
Designed to fit snugly beneath the chin, the applicator is cleared by the FDA to treat small areas of fat. Treatments last about 1 hour. Unlike other procedures targeting this area, such as liposuction or KYBELLA® injections, the CoolMini is non-invasive and doesn’t require downtime.
Keep in mind that experiences vary after CoolMini treatments. You may see the desired results after a single treatment, but some patients need 2 sessions.
CoolSculpting® Before & After Photos
Non-surgical treatment of abdomen with CoolSculpting®.
Case #218
Case #269
Case #265
Case #271
Case #221
Keep in mind that each patient is unique and your results may vary.
Following your session, the treated area will appear red and swollen. This can typically be hidden under clothes and should resolve itself within a day or so. CoolSculpting doesn’t require any downtime, and you should feel up to getting back to your regular activities, even including exercise, immediately.
Dr. Piazza Answers Common Questions
Is CoolSculpting an alternative to liposuction?
Not exactly. Although CoolSculpting and liposuction both have the same objective – reducing excess fat – CoolSculpting isn’t as versatile as liposuction. However, CoolSculpting is still an excellent option for men and women who want to reduce specific areas of fat without undergoing surgery. During your consultation, I carefully evaluate your areas of concern and help guide you to the decision that best matches your lifestyle, budget, and desired results.
Does CoolSculpting cause frostbite?
No. CoolSculpting uses a proprietary process called cryolipolysis that ensures it targets only fat cells. Cryolipolysis was developed by Harvard researchers, and its safety and effectiveness are well documented.1 Our fat cells are more vulnerable to cold than skin and muscle cells, which are completely undamaged by the low temperatures. The CoolSculpting device also comes equipped with several features to maintain a consistent temperature throughout each treatment, further maximizing its safety.
Do I need more than 1 treatment?
Although some patients may only require a single CoolSculpting treatment, it is more common to undergo multiple sessions over a period of time. Our team will work closely with you to create a custom non-surgical body sculpting plan that addresses your exact needs.
Meet Dr. Piazza
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Rocco C. Piazza looks forward to meeting with you to help you discover how you can achieve your cosmetic goals and desires.
About Dr. Piazza
Your CoolSculpting Results
The results of a CoolSculpting treatment aren’t immediate. Instead, they develop gradually over the course of a few months. By 2 to 4 months, your final results should be apparent, although experiences vary. A clinical study concluded: “Treatment resulted in a normalized fat layer reduction of 20.4% at 2 months and 25.5% at 6 months after treatment.”2 This reduction can make a world of difference in a pair of fitted jeans or a slim cocktail dress.
Is CoolSculpting Fat Reduction Permanent?
Once damaged fat cells are flushed out by your body, they won’t return. However, your remaining fat cells can still enlarge in relation to your diet and exercise habits. Maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle is the best way to enjoy your CoolSculpting results for as long as possible.
To learn more about what the CoolSculpting process is like at our practice, read Kara’s story in her own words.
More CoolSculpting FAQs
Is CoolSculpting safe?
CoolSculpting is FDA-cleared for non-surgical fat reduction and is generally considered to be a very low-risk treatment. The most common side effects include temporary redness, tingling, and skin sensitivity.
Is the treatment painful?
CoolSculpting is so comfortable that it doesn’t require any anesthesia to undergo. It’s unlikely you will feel any pain or discomfort during your treatment. Expect to feel a bit of suction as the device attaches to your treatment area, followed by some intense cooling. Once this cold fades into numbness, you should feel comfortable enough to read, relax, or even nap for the rest of your session.
Does CoolSculpting really work?
As clinical studies confirm, most people notice a 20 to 25% fat reduction in the months following treatment. Our own client reviews and before-and-after photos certainly reflect this.
If I have saggy skin, should I get CoolSculpting or another procedure?
CoolSculpting is not an ideal treatment for tightening loose or excess skin. If you are looking to tighten skin as well as reduce stubborn fat, you are likely a better candidate for a tummy tuck with liposuction. Or, you can combine your CoolSculpting with a non-surgical skin tightening option, such as SkinTyte™.
Can’t I just freeze my fat at home for similar results?
While the fat freezing process seems simple enough to DIY, please do not attempt to recreate CoolSculpting at home. The device is specially designed with temperature control technology and multidirectional cooling to make sure you get your best results without experiencing skin irritation and other harmful effects. An at-home approach may cause damage to your skin and won’t produce noticeable results.
1Avram M.M., Harry R.S., Cryolipolysis for subcutaneous fat layer reduction, Lasers Surg Med. 2009 Dec; 41(10):703-8.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20014262
2 Coleman S.R., Sachdeva K., Egbert B.M., Preciado J., Allison J., Clinical efficacy of noninvasive cryolipolysis and its effects on peripheral nerves, Aesthetic Plastic Surgery: 2009; 33(4):482-488. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19296153