An Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara product from L’Oréal Paris caught my eye. It also gave me an idea for using it to increase the volume of something other than my eyelashes…

Dear Makeup Artists:

I’m writing about your Extra-Volume Hydra Collagen Mascara, which claims to define and volumize eyelashes. Is volumize even a real word or did L’Oréal make it up? It’s not in the Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary and it didn’t pass my spell check. Do you makeup everything now, including words?

Since I’m a guy, I don’t feel the need to plump up or volumize my eyelashes. But since the rest of my hair is thinning, I wouldn’t mind plumping up, defining and volumizing what is left. Will your Extra Volume Hydra Collagen Mascara have the same affect on regular hair when applied?

Collageniality yours,
“Me”

A L’Oréal Paris Consumer Affairs Supervisor responded with:

Thank you for your interest in Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara.

Because this mascara is specifically formulated for the eyelashes and has been tested only on the eyelashes, we have no way of knowing its effects on thinning hair and do not recommend its use for any other purpose than it is intended for.

We are sure that you can find many hair products on the market, which are specifically designed to address the needs of thinning hair. Or perhaps you can find some assistance in the medical community who specializes in that field.

We appreciate your interest in L’Oréal Paris and we hope this information is helpful.

Final Thoughts: It was worth a shot in theory. Eyelashes are short hairs and that’s what I’m short of, too. If collagen mascara products help volumize eyelashes, why wouldn’t they have an effect on all kinds of hair? In retrospect, I should have also asked L’Oréal if they did any testing on women who have eyes in the back of their head where there is a lot more surrounding non-eyelash hair.

Here’s more about L’Oréal Paris Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara. And the next time you’re combing through information to determine what a product can — and cannot — do for you, make sure to Write The Company.