Vics on my head! (4head Headache Relief)

Member Name: abbadabbado

Product:	4head Headache Relief
Date:	15/12/07 (165 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: reduces tablets

Disadvantages: cost

I seemed to get every symptom going with my pregnancy. One of those being headaches quite frequently. They seemed to sit right on my temples and at the front of my head and just wouldn't shift.
Being pregnant, I was limited on medication. However I always try to avoid taking tablets for headaches as I used to get them so rarely anyway and I don't want my body becoming immune to any of the medication due to over use.

Someone mentioned 4head to me one day just as I was beginning to get sick of having to lie down in the dark every day to try and shift the pain. With nothing to lose, I scoured the pharmacy shelves for it the next time I was in the supermarket. I had heard it was around a fiver, but I wasn't too worried if it was going to work.
I searched and searched and nearly missed it until I asked for help. My 5.65gbp was going to buy me the smallest product I have ever seen!

Packaged in a burgundy cardboard box, just over two inches long, I found what looks like an oversized lip balm hiding inside.
Designed the same way as a lipstick / lip balm, the clear lid clicks off to reveal a solid shimmering stick with a very pungent aroma, not too dissimilar to breathing aids such as Vicks etc.

The aroma I soon discovered is due to the product being made from levomenthol which acts as a natural pain killer by numbing the affected area.

The tube is the size of a ten pence piece in diameter and rolls over your forehead smoothly, leaving an invisible layer of I hope soon to be protection from pain. My work colleagues did try to look closely to see if they could see a shining effect on my forehead when I had this on at work, but thankfully it really does go on and stays invisible.

I have found the effects of the numbing can depend on how much you put on in one application. There is no recommendation as to how much you should apply in one go, the leaflet just states not to overdo it, but to apply as required.
One gliding motion from right to left leaves me with a couple of seconds of nothing before I can feel a slight tingling sensation appearing across my head. This stays for around five to ten minutes, with a cooling sensation also surfacing.

Pain relief or not really does depend on what type of headache you have and how severe it is before you use the product. In my experience, I find that if I know I am getting the niggling pre headache pain, then as long as I use it straight away it does seem to work well.
If however the headache has already set in, then I find 4head can help the pain slightly but it never seems to get rid of it entirely. Sometimes it will shift the headache to the back of my head which really doesn't help the situation at all.

Researching the website, 4head is designed for tension headaches. Personally I can never tell which type of headache I am going to get so it's pot luck whether this will work.

As with any medication you should always read the label before use, as you may be sensitive to certain ingredients. However it is safe for diabetics, and there is no research to say it isn't safe for use in pregnant women. If you are unsure I would check with your midwife or GP.

The price as I mentioned didn't put me off as I was willing to try anything, but I can easily see how it would put people off buying it. However saying that, it will apparently last for over 100 applications so if you break down the price, it works out fairly averagely priced compared to other well known brands.
Personally I think it's going to last for over 100 applications as I have had this for over a month now and use it as and when. It hasn't seemed to get much lower than the top of the tube as yet.

I don't believe for one second this will work for everyone, and part of me sometimes believes it can be mind over matter in the headaches I seem to get. Being pregnant, I think tiredness etc can bring on a heavy head and in turn a headache.
4head was invaluable to me at that time in my life as I could pop it in my handbag and hopefully grab it at the first twinge to maybe give me a pain free day.

Post pregnancy, I still have lots of this in the tube left over, and it is so small I hardly notice it in my handbag. Seven months on I think this was a fantastic buy, as it'll be there for any niggling start of future headaches I may be unlucky enough to get.

Please note this review is also posted on Ciao where I am a member.

Summary: a stick to put on your head