I have received quite a few questions recently about a new migraine relief product called HeadOn – known for its annoying commercial that simply repeats the phrase “HeadOn, apply directly to forehead,” over and over.

Does HeadOn work? All that really need be said about this is that the product is homeopathic – that means it doesn’t work. The listed “ingredients” are diluted from between 6X and 30X (6X is a 1 in 10 dilution 6 times, or one part per million). That means you may have a stray molecule of potassium bichromate in there, but at 30X there likely will not be any golden seal. In my opinion, it should be considered fraudulent to list 30X of anything as an “ingredient”. (Their website vacuously informs us that by diluting the ingredients to such a degree, “their medicinal properties are released.”)

It is a scandal that in the US products such as this can be marketed to the public as a “supplement.” The company, Miralus, has not produced (and is not required to produce) any data on safety or effectiveness for HeadOn.

The claims they can make for the product are restricted, and the company was pressured into removing any overt health claims from their website and other marketing. However, the product package has “Immediate Migraine Relief” in bold letters right on it. Somehow this fact escaped the Federal Trade Commission. Miralus promises to produce clinical studies of efficacy in the future, which it will likely be able to do. Such studies will be conducted without proper oversight or quality control and will likely give them the results they want.

The company website avoids claims of efficacy, and rather stresses its safety. Of course, it is entirely safe, because it contains virtually nothing, and nothing is, generally speaking, safe. This was the focus of a minor controversy, however. Dr. Lawrence Newman, a neurologist at Columbia University, was interviewed regarding his opinions of HeadOn and was quite critical of it. In it he pointed out that potassium bichromate is a toxic substance used in film development, and should not be applied to the skin. He later wrote a public letter clarifying his statements, saying that potassium bichromate 6X is safe because of the high dilution. Miralus placed the letter prominently on their website, characterizing it as a “retraction” (it was more of a clarification). But now they can make is seem as if they have silenced their critics.

And of course all of this is just a distraction from the real issue – that homeopathic products are worthless.