When Ashleigh DePopas found that ladies make DIY breast-implant sizers at residence utilizing rice and nylon pantyhose, it led to an “a-ha” second and a corresponding enterprise concept.
“Given the seriousness and value of breast augmentation—this technique appeared surprisingly outdated,” says DePopas. “Whereas higher implant sizers do exist, ladies are solely capable of put on them for a quick time in the course of the session. So, I interviewed and surveyed a whole lot of ladies over two years. A lot of them shared the identical concern of going too massive or too small. I assumed ladies getting ready for a big, life-changing determination deserved extra time to put on the sizers and a greater resolution than rice.”
Enter Auggie, DePopas’s at-home reply to “fill the hole.” The corporate’s silicone-gel sizers can be found to order on-line and permit ladies to discover how implant volumes appear and feel within the consolation of their very own properties—for so long as they want.
“We’re about serving to ladies achieve readability and confidence all through their breast augmentation journey,” says DePopas, who provides that her typical buyer is a girl 25 to 45 years of age, however the firm additionally helps mastectomy sufferers exploring breast reconstruction and transwomen exploring prime surgical procedure.
“Auggie works like a Hire the Runway for breast implant sizers,” she explains. “Ladies go to our on-line retailer and order a sizing equipment, which incorporates three pairs of silicone gel implant sizers. They’ve the choice to buy their equipment or lease it for seven or 14 days. They fight on totally different volumes within the consolation of [their] residence, testing how every seems and feels with their clothes and life-style. Many embody a trusted good friend or associate within the course of. Some even enterprise out in public to gauge how they really feel and the arrogance shift firsthand. As soon as achieved, they merely ship the equipment again utilizing a pay as you go label. Ladies normally order our sizer equipment both earlier than assembly with their surgeon to make clear their aesthetic objectives or after their session to raised consider the quantity choices mentioned with their surgeon.”
Every Auggie equipment consists of three pairs of silicone breast implant sizers, starting from 250cc to 500cc, together with detailed try-on directions. With the tagline “Hire, mirror, return,” DePopas hopes to offer ladies “tactile insights” that transcend the standard sizing strategies, reminiscent of before-and-after photographs, 3D imaging apps, the DIY rice technique and in-office sizing. Not like conventional sizing strategies, Auggie gives a chronic, real-world trial expertise, permitting ladies to evaluate totally different sizes in numerous outfits and actions over a number of days, resulting in extra assured and knowledgeable selections.
Whereas DePopas is certain of her start-up, she says the person expertise actually speaks for itself. “We’ve two prospects which have or are at the moment documenting their journey on-line. One is Jade Shenker, Netflix’s Proudly owning Manhattan forged member, and the opposite is Kristen (aka @hauskris, a TikTok influencer with greater than 500k followers). Kristen’s try-on was significantly particular to me as a founder as a result of her three-minute-long video captured a lot of the Auggie expertise that’s laborious to place into phrases.”
Kristin had already used sizers and 3D imaging throughout her surgeon seek the advice of and had narrowed down her vary to 280–305cc. “She was leaning towards the smaller measurement and used the Auggie equipment to check each our 250cc and 300cc sizes at residence,” shares DePopas. “There was one second throughout her try-on with a detailed good friend current, the place Kristin paused and stated that she felt ‘female.’ That easy second captured one thing deeply significant about her causes for pursuing augmentation. This determination isn’t one ladies take calmly, and Auggie permits them additional time to thoughtfully expertise and think about their alternative. I used to be proud to see Auggie give her the area to genuinely benefit from the anticipation and exploration that comes earlier than getting a breast augmentation. She ended up going with a smaller implant measurement, confirming her instinct on what was going to work greatest for her.”
