Save Story Save this story

Save Story Save this story

All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.

I’m getting a boob job for my 40th birthday. I’ve been thinking about breast augmentation for a very long time. After having a child and breastfeeding for over a year, as well as a dramatic weight loss (50+ pounds), my once-perky 36C breasts have undergone substantial volume loss. So I’m undergoing a breast lift with implants.

Selecting my desired size implant is proving to be tricky. I’ve been reading and researching for years, and I’m still not exactly sure how many cc’s (that’s cubic centimeters) are best for me. I had my first in-person consultation in 2023, with a surgeon in New York City. He took some measurements and photos so we could try out the Crisalix 3D system, which I hadn’t heard of before.

Using your before images, you can “try on” implants virtually. This sounded interesting, but online, you just show up as a headless bust—and it’s hard to imagine what the outcome would really look like in person. To me, there didn’t seem to be much difference between a 250 cc and a 450 cc when I saw my bust on screen. (I know now that there is a big difference.)

Since the system didn’t do much for my decision-making, the surgeon recommended I weigh and scoop rice into pantyhose and wear it around in my bra to get an idea of what a certain size might look and feel like. He quoted me $25,000 for a body-altering procedure and he wanted me to figure it out with a bag of rice? I never even tried this method, because it seemed so silly and outdated.

I saw two surgeons back in 2023, including the one I mentioned above, and both agreed that 350 to 400 cc’s (which would have brought me to a 36 DD, approximately) would fit my body based on my measurements at the time.

Today, two years later, the trends, as well as my body, have changed. Back then, I was told between 250 and 450 cc’s were the most common size for implants in New York City. Now many people are going much smaller, according to board-certified plastic surgeons Melissa Doft, MD, and Anna Steve, MD (I’ve seen both for in-person consults). Dr. Doft believes the average is between 300 and 350, though a majority of her Upper East Side patients choose to go even smaller, in the 200 range. She attributes this to people’s desire to be smaller all over. “They want to be little and athletic [looking],” says Dr. Doft. In general, she adds, “the whole city [of New York] looks smaller.” Consider it the Ozempic (and Wegovy and Zepbound) effect.

In the last couple of months, I’ve met with five more surgeons in person; four in Manhattan and one in New Jersey. This is not only because I am an indecisive Libra, but because I wanted to see if the doctors all had the same size recommendations for me. This is an expensive process, by the way: Most consults cost between $150 and $300 each. But finding the right fit—literally and metaphorically—is worth it in my opinion. (Transparently, Dr. Doft provided my consultation free of charge as a member of the media.)

The doctors asked me if I wanted a more natural look or if I liked the augmented look, which helps determine the type of profile. A high-profile implant will be more dramatic and can appear rounder while low or moderate profiles will result in a more natural look. (I like a moderate profile and a round implant, personally.) After taking my new measurements after pregnancy, breastfeeding, and two years of weight loss, doctors suggested somewhere between 240 and 340 cc’s, with most landing between 300 and 325, smaller than I initially expected. My goal is to go from a B cup to a full C/small D.

But with Kylie Jenner revealing she got 445 cc’s, Alix Earle sharing that she got 275 cc’s (adding, “I’m not gonna lie, I wish I did a little bit more”) and one of my good friends being thrilled with 140 cc’s, I was still feeling indecisive. That’s probably because the same size implant can look different on everyone. It depends on the brand, the shape, the material (saline vs. silicone) and the placement. It also depends on what volume you’re starting with and your desired result. “Patients often ask 'What cup size would X-number cc implant be?' and as we explain, the same implant can look completely different on five different women, all based on their own unique anatomy,” explains Umbareen Mahmood, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City.

Late one night as I was scrolling Instagram instead of sleeping, I saw an ad for a company called Auggie, which offers breast molds that you can rent for seven or 14 days to wear in your daily life to get a feel of what you might look and feel like post-surgery. When I reached out to learn more, founder and CEO Ashleigh DePopas and I bonded over my “rice in pantyhose” story—because it was a friend who had to do the same that inspired her to create the company.

Most Popular

Nails

Hailey Bieber's New Faded French Manicure Is Destined to Be a Huge Trend

By Marci Robin

Nails

9 Cozy Fall Pedicure Colors to Wiggle Your Toes In

By Marianne Mychaskiw

Makeup

Uoma Beauty Founder Sharon Chuter Has Died at 38

By Annie Blay-Tettey

“Auggie sizers are made of silicone gel with similar density and weight to surgical implants,” says DePopas. “This means you experience both the volume and weight on your body. You wear them under a sports bra, similar to the sizers at your surgeon's office. The key difference is time: you can wear Auggie for days instead of minutes.”

Courtesy of subject

That’s the most important point of difference, if you ask me. At my in-person consultations, I was able to feel different size implants and even put them inside my bra to see the projection and feel the weight. But when I left the office, it was hard to remember what each size really felt like.

On Auggie’s website, you take a size quiz, sharing your height, age, current cup size, and ideal cup size. In less than a minute, it will suggest a kit with three size options for you to buy or rent. You can rent sizers for a week for $140, or rent them for 14 days for $180. Buying a kit costs $320. Right now, sizers range between 250 and 500 cc’s in 50 cc increments. “We chose 50 cc increments because smaller differences [than that] require fine-tuning with your surgeon,” says DePopas. “For context, 25 cc is less than one ounce. The exact cc’s of your breast implant ultimately depends on your breast base width and profile options from the manufacturer, which your surgeon will help determine.” I chose the 350/400/450 kit because I was curious, and DePopas also generously shipped me the 300 size to try as well. (DePopas provided the kits to me gratis as a member of the media.)

Most Popular

Nails

Hailey Bieber's New Faded French Manicure Is Destined to Be a Huge Trend

By Marci Robin

Nails

9 Cozy Fall Pedicure Colors to Wiggle Your Toes In

By Marianne Mychaskiw

Makeup

Uoma Beauty Founder Sharon Chuter Has Died at 38

By Annie Blay-Tettey

The sizers are teardrop shaped, and although I’m leaning towards a round implant, the volume and weight are what allow you to get an idea of what you want. Auggie sizers are teardrop shaped to model how round implants settle over time, DePopas explains: “This is commonly referred to as the ‘drop and fluff’ where the lower portion of the breast fills out creating a more natural, soft shape due to gravity as the muscles and tissues relax. The sizers are designed as a low to moderate profile, though your final shape depends on many factors like your breast base width, existing tissue, and whether placement is above or below the muscle.” Of course, all of these details should be discussed with a board-certified plastic surgeon, she adds.

I received my kit and was excited to try on the different sizes. You’re supposed to put on a sports bra, and then insert the sizers, aligning the nipples with your own. At first there was some trial and error with finding a bra that could hold the implants, especially the heavier ones. I found a bra that was adjustable and that held them in place better than my initial bra, which could not be tightened. I then tried on the sizers with different clothing, and even wore a pair as I walked my daughter to and from gymnastics.

Keeping in mind that I’m also getting a breast lift in addition to implants, the placement wasn’t perfect, but it was an eye-opening experience nonetheless. There did seem to be a dramatic difference in the 300 versus the 450 cc’s, mainly the weight that the 450 added to my chest. As fun as it was to have amazing cleavage for a few photos, I knew that this size wouldn’t work for an active lifestyle and would probably cause me some regret (and give me some back pain, since I’m almost 40). The 350 cc sizer seemed like the right fit to give me fullness and shape, but still match my frame.

Courtesy of subject

Most Popular

Nails

Hailey Bieber's New Faded French Manicure Is Destined to Be a Huge Trend

By Marci Robin

Nails

9 Cozy Fall Pedicure Colors to Wiggle Your Toes In

By Marianne Mychaskiw

Makeup

Uoma Beauty Founder Sharon Chuter Has Died at 38

By Annie Blay-Tettey

I’m only 5’2” and I have pretty narrow shoulders. So putting in a very large implant like Kylie without having a tailor on call is going to result in a hard time finding clothes that fit properly. Dr. Doft, as well as Dr. Mahmood, said that choosing an implant that is too large will make me feel bigger than I am. “You’ll have to buy a medium shirt when you really should be wearing a small,” Dr. Doft told me.

When I explained the concept of Auggie to Dr. Doft, she flagged that “they offer one profile, so there’s no way to try a flatter, more moderate option or a low profile implant.” Also, since many of her patients are increasingly interested in implants smaller than 250 cc, she noted that the size range could be expanded. DePopas told me that after many requests, the company is, in fact, releasing smaller and larger volume options soon.

“With that said, I think it is a great idea and allows women to really experience the weight and projection of having implants for a week or a month before undergoing surgery,” says Dr. Doft.

The consensus among the doctors I spoke to is that Auggie is a great starting point, but an in-person consultation is still needed to be able to make an informed decision. “While I think the premise behind Auggie sizers is a good one, the reality is that implant selection is far more nuanced,” says Dr. Mahmood, adding that there are four key plants in implant manufacturing: Motiva, Sientra, Allergan, and Mentor. “They each have different lines of projection—Motiva has mini, demi, and full projection, whereas Sientra has low, low plus, moderate, moderate plus, and high profile—and different volumes, and each volume has a different width and projection.” In general, multiple doctors confirmed that silicone is, by far, the most popular option.

Dr. Mahmood (and the other surgeons I met with) has brand-specific implant sizers in her office and will allow patients to bring in a variety of tops and dresses to see how they will look in their favorite clothes.

For my part, I would suggest scheduling a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon first. “During an appointment, I do comprehensive breast measurements to identify a patient's breast and chest wall dimensions,” says Dr. Mahmood. “This allows us to provide a general framework to guide them on the implant ranges that will fit their chest the best—too big an implant on a small chest wall can give the look of symmastia causing a 'top heavy' look, or similarly, a very small implant on someone with a wider chest wall will not adequately provide the cleavage they are looking for.”

Most Popular

Nails

Hailey Bieber's New Faded French Manicure Is Destined to Be a Huge Trend

By Marci Robin

Nails

9 Cozy Fall Pedicure Colors to Wiggle Your Toes In

By Marianne Mychaskiw

Makeup

Uoma Beauty Founder Sharon Chuter Has Died at 38

By Annie Blay-Tettey

Bring in inspiration photos so the doctor can see the aesthetic goal you’re going for. “Along with breast measurements, we review patient's 'inspo pics' or 'wish pics.' Most board-certified plastic surgeons will agree that we do not use cup size as a guide to implant selection, because that is extremely variable,” explains Dr. Mahmood. “Most women are wearing the wrong size bra altogether, not to mention that each bra company has a different sizing system and there is no standardization of bra sizes.”

Once you have a range that will look proportional to your body, I suggest you rent an Auggie box to feel confident and secure about this expensive and life-changing procedure. I want all the information with a decision as important as this one, and I’m so grateful that Auggie was able to help me prepare for my journey—no rice or pantyhose required.

Ultimately, I’ve decided to get a breast lift with an implant with Dr. Doft. I’ll get the Motiva Demi round, which is a silicone implant that has a moderate projection. Sizing will range between 300 and 325 ccs, which Dr. Doft will determine in the operating room based on our multiple conversations and my wishes. Dr. Doft says that Motiva implants have become increasingly popular since they have an incredibly low risk of rupture and capsular contracture, which is when the tissue hardens around the implant. I’m thrilled with my decision and can’t wait for my surgery this fall. Stay tuned for my after pictures!

Read more about plastic surgery:

These Will Be the Biggest Plastic Surgery Trends of 2025

Gen X Is Getting Plastic Surgery Right

Everyone’s Signing Up for Jawline Liposuction