Overview
It could be said that HeadOn ads are meant to cause headaches, and their product is designed to take them away. Anyone that gets a regular headache is desperate for a reliable and quick fix, and that’s the draw to using something like HeadOn.
The Claim
In a startling bit of irony, HeadOn doesn’t actually make any claims at all during its commercial. The claim that it takes away a headache is entirely assumed by the view. All they do is repeat the instruction to apply it directly to your forehead. That’s all they say.
This is rather clever, and most assuredly the ad rep that came up with this promo piece was laughed out of the office at first. But then they probably thought about it more, did some trials with test audiences, measured their feedback, and realized that you don’t actually have to make any claims at all, that people will just assume that’s what it’s for.
The Hype
Anyone that watches the commercial will be annoyed by it, but also intrigued on a fundamental level. The ads are so notorious that they considered an Internet meme, and have basically gone viral. Almost everyone has some frame of reference if you bring up the famous tagline.
Genius marketing, but unfortunately for those that spent money on it, a waste of a product.
The Cost
HeadOn is
The Commitment
The big draw to HeadOn is that you don’t have to do much. You don’t have to pop pills, and you don’t have to change your lifestyle at all. This is the king of quick fixes, and will attract those people that just want to alleviate their symptoms and move on with their lives, without giving much thought as to why their head is hurting.
Evaluation
You would think that with a product like HeadOn, that it would rely on repeat business in order to stay afloat. If it didn’t work they would eventually run out of new customers, as people try it, get disappointed, and move on to the next big thing.
Respected scientists as well as consumer advocates have come forward to show that HeadOn is merely a placebo type product, and the only success stories possible are from those that expected the product to work, and believed so fully in it that they willed the headache away. While this does show the unbelievably awesome power of the human mind, it does nothing for the power of HeadOn.
HeadOn has basically been proven to be a big scam. The active ingredients in it have been shown to exist is such infinitesimal levels that they couldn’t have any effect, especially considering that they’d have to penetrate the skin of the forehead in order to do anything internally.
Furthermore, the bulk of the product is just wax, so in essence you are just balming up your forehead. You’ll probably get some zits for your troubles if you’re prone to clogged pores and acne.
Our Recommendation
Avoid HeadOn and don’t get drawn in by their repetitive advertisements. Treat the cause of your headache, not the symptom of pain. If it’s stress induced, try to find ways of dealing with your stress that don’t involve quick fixes like HeadOn. If you don’t treat the cause you’ll just fall victim to product after product that promises you hope, without delivering any relief.
Recurring headaches could also be the sign of more serious conditions, so be sure to consult your doctor if you get chronic headaches, migraines, or other pains in the body.
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View Comments
HeadOn always worked for me! I want it back!! I didn’t have to take a bunch of pills when it was out in the market!!
HeadOn was not a placebo effect. I have suffered with headaches since I was in 6th grade and was diagnosed with classic migraines. The claim that it would get rid of a headache was not true, however it would mask that headache and allow you to think again. There is no placebo to a burning or cooling sensation when applied and this is how it worked. That sensation you felt masked the pain, but at the same time would allow you to be able to concentrate again and it worked in a pinch for sure. I'm really angry this got taken off the market as I could depend on it to get through stressful situations and actually be able to think again until it wore off.. The makers of this got robbed, why didn't they consult the actual users of the product to see what they thought of it before calling it a scam. Oh right, we can't tell a placebo affect from anything else. So tell me this, why when I let a friend borrow it and he always rolled his windows down get affected by the wind burning his head to the point he had to roll them up. Sounds like more than "wax" to me. :P
Dude just get some icy hot. Cool your jets.
It's a placebo. It follows the pseudoscience of homeopathy (not to be confused with herbalism), a "system of alternative medicine" which is just a really great marketing scheme for the placebo effect. The good news is HeadOn won't make your headache any worse: it simply doesn't have enough of any chemical (aside from wax) to effect your body [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeadOn#Ingredients]. The even better news: if your headache doesn't stem from purely physical causes and can be positively influenced by the belief that you are treating it, you may experience genuine relief, at least temporarily. The bad news: if there truly is an underlying physical cause, for example: dehydration or caffeine withdrawal, this product won't fix the problem, as it is simply a relatively cheap placebo. The placebo effect is certainly real, but it's not a good replacement for taking care of yourself.
I remember how annoying these commercials were. It's like the commercials themselves were trying to give you a headache so you would use their product. I often get headaches on a regular basis so I need to know how the product works in order to be able to trust it. Just saying "Apply directly to forehead" is not enough to convince me that it works. But, if it works for Rhonda, maybe it's worth giving a shot.
Head on works. I know the commercial song gets caught in your head and you have a headache after that. Maybe that's how they sell the product thinking you will need it, but it really does work. My husband can't take any kind of medication so we of course seen the commercial and he wanted to try it. He said it worked great for his headaches. He carries one with him in his truck just like I carry my Tylenol. It isn't expensive as you can get it for five bucks at Walmart.
Head On. Apply directly to the forehead. Head On. Apply directly to the forehead. Head On. Apply directly to the forehead. Yes, that’s the one. Now that’s effective marketing! As for the product itself, that’s another matter. If you recall, after shouting the name of their product and how to use it, they never actually say what it does. It is merely implied that is has any effect on easing headaches. And there’s really no reason to think so. Perhaps the mere act of applying something directly to the forehead makes you think you’re bringing relief directly to the site of discomfort, it’s just a ruse. This is bunkum.
I used to get frequent mild sinus headaches. This stuff, the one in the blue stick, worked wonders. It was kind of like a mild version of icy hot for your forehead. I loved it! Icy hot probably would have done the same thing and worked if it didn't smell so strong.
Wow, I remember seeing the strange commercials for this product years ago. I have not seen them since, and now I know why. I never thought of trying this product, to be honest, as their ads never bothered to explain how exactly it works. Now that I have read your review, I know that it is really just another bogus product on the market. I completely agree that headaches should be treated by finding the cause rather than masking the symptoms. Thank you for reviewing this product and bringing its lies to light.