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HeadOn application

nathan

Zygoticly Phased
nathan
Joined
Nov 22, 2004
Messages
3,477
Oh, so it works through the nerves does it? Then why rub it on the forehead -- that's not an area I associate with dense nerve endings. Perhaps it would be better to lick it, shove it up your nose or rub it on one's privates (they're quite sensitive you know :).

I understand there's a very large number of nerves routed up the middle of one's back too.
 
But isn't this preparation supposed to work according to homeopathic principles? If that is so, then surely one would expect it to work best where there are the fewest nerves...

'Luthon64
 
This is an amusing Wikipedia page about it. Head On is basically a placebo. I wonder how much money the company has made off this sham and the gullibility of its customers.

Link

This is a story where a headache doctor comments on Head On. As expected, she is none too thrilled with the product. I thought that this was a pretty funny comment:
She added another slam, saying, "Some people say they get tingling, or a sense of coldness when you put it over your forehead. You'd be better off wrapping a towel around a bag of frozen vegetables, putting that on your forehead and then sensing tingling."
Click to expand...
CBS Story
 
My concern, though, is the nature of the objection "headaches occur in the brain, inside the skull." I always thought that most headaches were actually muscular in nature, just outside the skull. In which case, a transdermal treatment of a proven anti-inflamatory would work. (Aspercreme comes to mind, and a similar preparation of acetaminiphin or ibuprofin would work.)

Of course, the response "it works through the nerves" is still a wrong answer. Although I think it may have more effect than just placebo -- applying a cooling substance to the forehead has been used to treat headaches for a very long time, but a damp washcloth is probably as effective, if not more, than this stuff!
 
They have a new slant to their campaign on now. Testimonials! I caught one that said, "Sure, the commercial is annoying, but it works for me!!!"

It bugs me that CNN allows this to saturate their network, especially right before the hour's major news update.
 
Captain Trips said:
My concern, though, is the nature of the objection "headaches occur in the brain, inside the skull." I always thought that most headaches were actually muscular in nature, just outside the skull. In which case, a transdermal treatment of a proven anti-inflamatory would work. (Aspercreme comes to mind, and a similar preparation of acetaminiphin or ibuprofin would work.)
Click to expand...

Thank you! I just read the commentary and was wandering over here planning to comment on the same thing, right down to the cold washcloth example!
 
Here in the UK I have recently seen commercials for something called '4Head', a stick containing 'mentholatum' that is supposed to cure headaches when smeared on the forehead. Any relation, does anyone know? There don't appear to be any homeopathic claims for it, and no mention of bryony of any kind.
 
ChrisH said:
Here in the UK I have recently seen commercials for something called '4Head', a stick containing 'mentholatum' that is supposed to cure headaches when smeared on the forehead.
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Now, if only there were a homeopathic treatment called "4play". That might garner some attention... :D
 
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alfaniner said:
They have a new slant to their campaign on now. Testimonials! I caught one that said, "Sure, the commercial is annoying, but it works for me!!!"

It bugs me that CNN allows this to saturate their network, especially right before the hour's major news update.
Click to expand...

:O

I hope you are not trying to suggest that CNN, rather than being a a corporation that applies strict standards to thier news reporting so that important world events are reported without sentiment and sensationalism and applies the same standard to thier sponsors, are in fact, a corporation that will apply spin, rhetoric and on-the-fly editorial to any story to appeal to the lowest commen denomenator to increase thier veiwer base therfore increasing the money they can demand for thier advertising sections which they sell to any entity that can pay the bills.

I hope your not suggesting that. You wouldn't suggest that would you?
;)
 
Orangutan said:
:O

I hope you are not trying to suggest that CNN, rather than being a a corporation that applies strict standards to thier news reporting so that important world events are reported without sentiment and sensationalism and applies the same standard to thier sponsors, are in fact, a corporation that will apply spin, rhetoric and on-the-fly editorial to any story to appeal to the lowest commen denomenator to increase thier veiwer base therfore increasing the money they can demand for thier advertising sections which they sell to any entity that can pay the bills.

I hope your not suggesting that. You wouldn't suggest that would you?
;)
Click to expand...

Surely you're not suggesting that the network that brings us Larry King is subjective in their coverage. The greatest sycophant in television history? The guy who makes Jay Leno look like a tough interviewer? :rolleyes:

Larry: Well thank you, Sylvia, we'll be right back with Satan, who has an interesting new book coming out. Stay with us.
 
Confession:

When I first saw that commercial, I think my jaw literally dropped.

I thought, "That's f*****g brilliant! Gawd, I wish I'd thought of that. They're gonna make a mint."

I also thought, "Instant catch phrase!"
 
Speaking of Sylvia Browne...Large shovel! Apply directly to the forehead! Large shovel! Apply directly to the forehead! Large shovel! Apply directly to the forehead!
 
Captain Trips said:
My concern, though, is the nature of the objection "headaches occur in the brain, inside the skull." I always thought that most headaches were actually muscular in nature, just outside the skull.
Click to expand...
There are tension headaches which are indeed muscular in nature producing the sensation of a tight band outside the skull. There are also migraine headaches which are vascular in nature producing a painful throbbing sensation and involving arteries inside the skull
 
Anacoluthon64 said:
But isn't this preparation supposed to work according to homeopathic principles? If that is so, then surely one would expect it to work best where there are the fewest nerves...
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking. Remember, the "maximum strength" is actually a more dilute preparation. So you'd do better to apply it to the soles of your feet than directly where your head hurts.

Or better yet, you'd do best to remove yourself as far as possible from this product to derive maximum benefit.
 
BillyJoe said:
There are tension headaches which are indeed muscular in nature producing the sensation of a tight band outside the skull. There are also migraine headaches which are vascular in nature producing a painful throbbing sensation and involving arteries inside the skull
Click to expand...

This may be so (and I have experienced both) but is irrelevant to how HeadOn works. (Or is supposed to.) Applying to the forehead may work with muscular tension headaches, but pick up a package and read it. The active ingredient is at 0.05%, and is at that an ingredient that has no palliative effects! It would still be better to use a wet cloth! As to vascular headaches (migraines), well, I've found only one thing that works -- Imitrex, available by prescription. And applying anything to the forehead may be soothing emotionally, but does nothing to alleviate the pain.

So, regardless of where the headaches occur, the real question is, "does HeadOn really work?" And the answer has to be, "how can it?"
 
Head On lists menthol and alcohol as some of its "inactive ingredients." These both give a cooling sensation and menthol also has an anesthestic effect. Menthol is the primary ingredient in BenGay pain relieving gel and quite a few skin rash creams.

Active Ingredients: Potassium Dichromate (6X H.P.U.S. 0.05% - Pain Reliever**), Sublimed Sulphur (12X H.P.U.S. 0.2% - Sleep Aid**), White Bryony (12X H.P.U.S. 0.04% - Pain Reliever**)

Inactive Ingredients: Diazolidinyl Urea, Ethyl Alcohol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Menthol, Menthyl Lactate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Stearate, Steareth 21, Tetrasodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Water
Click to expand...

The active ingredient is actually at 6X .05%, which means a .05% solution diluted by a factor of .000001. And it's a damn good thing, as Potassium Dichromate is just about the nastiest stuff out there....
 
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