I have been buying some headache patches from my local Boots as an alternative to popping headache tablets for my constant headaches. They seem to get worse when I am under stress at work and also they don't always work. These patches are not cheap at £2.89 for a measly pack of four, but I was willing to give them a try. I like to use these when I get in from work if I have had a bad day, which has resulted in a throbbing head. Using them as I lie in the bath often has the best effect for me personally.

The pads themselves are approximately 12cm in length and are cool when placed onto the skin wherever the pain is at it's worst. I usually place them right across the centre of my forehead. There is no need to have to put these into a fridge or freezer before first using them as they are cool anyway. They have a cooling blue gel and are an adhesive strip which sticks to the skin but can be removed easily once you have finished with it. They are not designed to be used more than once though, so you can see why they work out so expensive.

The strip sticks well but a word or warning. If you do use these in the bath and if you like your baths hot, as I do, they will not stick to your head due to excessive perspiration. Mine kept on dropping off into the bathwater, which was a complete waste of money. They don't work very quickly either and for a mild to moderate headache they work best. They are simply not up to the job of ridding throbbing headaches and I have even used them in conjunction with painkillers for the best effect.

They have a strange hospital type smell and I can feel them tingling on my skin where I have placed them. I leave them for a minimum of half an hour before I start to feel any positive effects but they are soothing and quite relaxing an if I have used them on the bed, I have been often known to fall asleep with one of them left on my head.

Overall, they have their place and are very useful but not something I can recommend for regular use, simply because they are so expensive.

Stick to a bag of frozen peas.