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In the May issue of Plastic Surgery Practice, Dr. Jennifer Walden dishes on motherhood, her new practice, and having it all by her own terms.

Since returning to Austin, TX with her twin boys and starting her new practice, Dr. Walden has been extremely busy…turns out, the most popular procedure in New York as well as Austin is breast augmentation with implants.

Dr. Walden explained that in New York her top procedures were breast augmentation and rhinoplasty, and here in Austin it’s breast augmentation, augmentation with lift, and then rhinoplasty and facelift. Reinforcing the old saying ‘Everything is bigger in Texas’, Dr. Walden dished that Austin women choose larger-size implants, about 150 cubic centimeters (cc) larger than NYC ladies.

Although plastic surgery is still a male-dominated field, Walden said times are changing. “I can see a slow evolution of acceptance of the strengths of women plastic surgeons and an attempt by the plastic surgery societies to really support women plastic surgeons, “ Dr. Walden said. More plastic surgery residency programs are becoming more female-friendly. And Dr. Walden believes that soon we will see more female plastic surgeons. For many women, Dr. Walden included, the field of plastic surgery is a lifestyle choice and one that requires sacrifices, both small and large.

To read more on Dr. Walden’s transition from New York to Austin, check out the oh-so-talented Denise Mann’s article “What a Girl Wants” in Plastic Surgery Practice!

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Graduations are behind us this semester, but there’s a growing trend of more and more graduates getting plastic surgery as gifts.

“I’m not shocked completely because there’s a growing trend for plastic surgery in all age ranges,” said plastic surgeon Jennifer Walden. “And basically, with teenagers getting plastic surgery, it kind of goes along with plastic surgery being more accessible, pervasive in our media.”

Most popular procedures:

Rhinoplasty
Breast augmentation or correction
Breast reduction
Liposuction

Walden said teenagers need to be emotionally ready for a permanent change in their body after undergoing surgery. In addition, she said parents need to definitely be on board and supportive.

It has to be a win-win arrangement between plastic surgeon, family, parents and the patient getting the surgery, said Walden.

“They should’ve researched the procedures out and be able to take the time off of sports, camps, any type of summer school they may be doing to recover from these procedures so they don’t end up with a complication,” said Walden.

What to do before procedure:

Do research ahead of time
Talk to your parents
Go and see several different board-certified surgeons well-versed in that procedure
Be emotionally ready for permanent change in body

And while many associate plastic surgery with vanity, Walden said it’s deeper than that a lot of the time.

“This is not an exercise in vanity,” she said. “A lot of these surgeries help correct a very embarrassing body part, such as breast enlargement on a teenage boy, or prominent ears, or a hooked nose.”

It helps teenagers establish self-esteem and confidence before venturing off on this new leg of their life.

“We have such a visually-oriented society with Facebook, Instagram and TV images that it’s not uncommon for teenagers to want to and be able to change their appearance for the better at that juncture between going off from high school to college,” said Walden.

As for recovery time, it varies by procedure. Still, the general rule is to rest up for five- to seven days.

Tips for recovery:

Teens need four weeks off sport activities
They must take off six weeks for contact sports, such as football
Use sunblock for those sun-exposed areas
Some good rest and relaxation
Stay inside and recuperate in the air conditioning, especially because swelling can happen in the outdoor heat

Article by Jackie Vega of KXAN

It’s no secret that Dr. Walden has two beautiful sons. Recently making the move from New York to Austin, Dr. Walden chose to be closer to her extended family for her twin sons, Houston and Rex. And if you’ve visited her new practice, the walls are lined with embossed photos of her beautiful children. The only secret, regarding her two children, was her journey. In the May 2012 issue of Austin Woman Magazine, Dr. Walden opens up about her experiences with in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the article “Motherhood (By Other Means).”

“In my 20s and 30s, my only priority was to become a well-trained plastic surgeon,” Dr. Walden says in the article. As a dedicated surgeon, marriage was always lower on Dr. Walden’s priority scale. Not uncommon though, more than half of adult women in America are unmarried, according to a recent story in the New York Times, and many report being perfectly content. At the age of 38, when Dr. Walden felt her career was in a stable enough place, she decided to explore her options of conceiving using donor sperm.

Dr. Walden knew her internal clock was ticking, and that it would be difficult to conceive, so she quickly set out to find the right donor. After selecting her match, Dr. Walden began rounds of intrauterine insemination (or IUI, in which concentrated sperm are placed in the uterus after natural ovulation), with no results. As a surgeon who is accustomed to seeing immediate results, the process of IUI proved to be painstakingly slow.

Without any luck during IUI, Dr. Walden explored other means of conception. “I knew immediately that I would pursue in vitro fertilization (IVF). I’m the kind of person who works for what I want. It became my passion. It had to happen,” said Dr. Walden.

IVF can seem daunting to many women because it is a very physically and emotionally draining procedure. Women who are 39 - Dr. Walden’s age at the time - have a 22-percent chance of success. With such disappointing rates of success, many women try for years to conceive using IVF, yet after only three IVF cycles, Dr. Walden not only conceived, she also gave birth to twins.

The road to motherhood by alternative methods is an extremely difficult process, emotionally, physically and economically; but the gift of life, outweighs all the hardships a mother may face when conceiving by other means.

To learn more about Dr. Walden’s personal journey with IVF, as well as other alternative methods for conception and how you can take control of your own fertility, please continue to read “Motherhood (By Other Means)” in Austin Woman Magazine!

The gift of plastic surgery could give college, and even high school graduates the confidence boost they may need to successfully start a new chapter in their lives.

Featured on Perry Watson’s “News Radio” segment on KLBJ Radio, Dr. Jennifer Walden was on hand to discuss a new trend currently sweeping graduates across the nation.

During Watson’s interview, Dr. Walden said that young females as well as young males are asking for, and receiving plastic surgery as graduation gifts. Nationwide, Dr. Walden said the most popular procedures among graduates are nose jobs, breast augmentation, breast reduction, ear-pinning surgery and liposuction.

To many young adults, plastic surgery may serve as a confidence boost that can help them grow from one chapter to the next in their lives. But, Dr. Walden does caution young adults who choose cosmetic procedures. Regardless of the procedure, Dr. Walden advises that patients be emotionally stable, developmentally ready, and have the support of their parents.

To hear Perry Watson’s full interview with Dr. Walden, check out KLBJ News Rado, Austin Local News!

Dr. Jennifer Walden has finally returned to her roots! After completing an aesthetic surgery fellowship at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, building a successful aesthetic surgery practice in New York City, Dr. Walden has finally returned to her hometown - Austin, Texas.

Texas Monthly was one of the first to get the inside scoop on the doctor’s major move back to the Capital and her transition from one practice on Manhattan’s tony Upper East Side to the Lone Star State.

Read all about her in this month’s issue of Texas Monthly, y’all!

Dr. Walden has been practicing plastic surgery for eight years, focusing exclusively on cosmetic surgery, including breast augmentations, face-lifts, eyelid lifts, and rhinoplasties, commonly referred to as nose jobs. She also performs liposuction on the abdomen, inner thighs, and arms – and minimally invasive procedures such as Botox injections and soft-tissue fillers.

Dr. Walden believes, however, that being a female plastic surgeon has its advantages. 91 percent of all cosmetic surgeries are performed on women. And the majority of those women do not have procedures to replicate the male ideal archetype of that perfect figure that society perpetuates.

“Many of my patients tell me they are more comfortable talking to another woman about certain parts of their body. They also know I will never look at them judgmentally,” Dr. Walden said in the article as told to the uber-talented writer, Skip Hollandsworth, of Texas Monthly.

Many women look to plastic surgery to overcome body deformities, or because they are embarrassed by asymmetries their body may have. Or their body has gone through significant changes after giving birth and they not only want to feel like their old self post-pregnancy.

Proud mother of eighteen month-old twin boys, Dr. Walden has also gone through many of the same experiences as her patients. She confidently understands what her patient’s wants and needs are, and she is not ashamed to admit what procedures she may undergo in the future.

Although happy to return to her hometown, where her sons will be closer to her family, Dr. Walden did express concerns about leaving her successful NYC practice to start up a new one, in a city known for being au natural. Dr. Walden was nervous that Austin’s residents might be less receptive to cosmetic procedures than the residents of New York’s Upper East Side.

Much to Dr. Walden’s surprise, by the time her plane landed in Texas, two patients had already booked surgery to have their breast enhancement. Texans, Dr. Walden and her staff have discovered, have as much of a desire for cosmetic work as people anywhere else.

Dr. Walden admits that sometimes she is asked why she chose cosmetic surgery over another specialty. Her response is always the same. She says one of her goals is to help women improve upon themselves. Surgery often times is a way for women to have a better quality of life and improved self-confidence.

“If I thought my work was simply an exercise in vanity, I wouldn’t do it,” Dr. Walden said in conclusion to the article.

To read more about Dr. Walden’s exciting transition, her thoughts on the field of aesthetic plastic surgery, and what it’s like to be a female cosmetic surgeon, visit the Texas Monthly “The Working Life” article here!

Many say that the economy is on its way to recovery since the economic downturn of 2009-2010. The market is showing increases, buy many feel a more indicative marker on the economic recovery is the increase in the number of cosmetic procedures performed each year. Cosmetic procedures are seen as a marker of disposable income and in the past year cosmetic procedures have increased 5%, with 1.5 million plastic surgeries performed in 2011. The most noticeable increase has been seen with minimally invasive procedures such as Botox, dermal fillers and laser treatments. These procedures have become increasingly popular because of the nominal cost and also due to the fact that they require little to no downtime with most people returning to work the same day. Although cosmetic procedures have not quite made it back to where they were at their peak in 2005, many are optimistic that the numbers will continue to increase and reach their previous highs over the next few years. Check out Dr. Jennifer Walden on Austin’s KVUE TV on these trends.

What mom wouldn’t love to have her pre-baby body back or to be able to fit into that favorite pair of skinny jeans? These days more and more women are looking to plastic surgery to fix the areas that diet and exercise may not always help. Recent studies show that 62% of mothers would consider having a mommy makeover. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons the number of women having tummy tucks has increased 85%, breast lifts have increased 70%, and breast augmentation has increased 39% since 2000. This increase is due in part to the increasing acceptability and accessibility of plastic surgery. Women no longer have to accept what nature has dealt them. With new advances in plastic surgery such as new breast implants with lower rupture rates and new formed shells that hold their shape better over the years and noninvasive rejuvenation methods such as Botox, its no surprise at the increasing number of women looking to enhance or correct their natural looks. Women want to look as young and vibrant as they feel on the inside. In only a matter of hours women are able to take 10-15 years off of their looks with a facelift procedure or correct problems such as hook nose or prominent nose that have caused them insecurities all of their life. With so many different options available there is a treatment for anyone looking to make changes to their looks .