Application
Patches can be used to gradually rid the body of its dependence on nicotine and smoking. The first part of the process involves the application of a patch. This patch is placed on a part of the skin that is free of hair. Some of the most common places are the shoulders, back and upper arm area. After applying a patch, it's important to wash your hands to remove any excess nicotine.
Nicotine
These patches contain nicotine without any harmful tars or gases that regular cigarettes deliver. When you smoke regular cigarettes, you get a nicotine rush that lasts for about 20 to 30 minutes in your blood stream and then leaves you craving more, so you smoke again. This is how the smoking addiction works. But with the patches, nicotine is slowly absorbed directly into the skin to ease your cravings. When you first start using the patches, the amount of nicotine is higher. As you progress, the nicotine amount is reduced, which ultimately helps you to lose your dependence on it and overcome your addiction.
Timing
Patches are usually worn for 16 or 24 hours without being taken off. They generally come in three stages in doses of 21mg, 14mg and 7mg, with 1mg being equivalent to one cigarette. If someone smokes a pack of cigarettes (which is 20 cigarettes) a day, for example, he would start with the 21mg patches and use them for about four to six weeks. Then he would transition to the 14mg and 7mg patches for 2 weeks each. By that point, the nicotine amount would be low and he would be ready to get off of it altogether. People who are more heavily addicted will want to use the higher dosage and 24-hour patches. Someone less addicted can start with the lower dosage and 16-hour patches.
Positioning
The patches are removed and replaced every day and put into a new location because the skin can become sensitive from absorbing the nicotine. The whole weaning process usually takes about eight to10 weeks, but it really depends on an individual's discipline, the strength of her addiction and what stage she decides to start.
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