Hoodia Gordonii, a succulent plant, suppresses the appetite when used in its natural form and so can be helpful to those who are trying to lose weight. This plant looks similar to a cactus and can be found growing wild in the South Africa deserts.

Manufactures have either had to grind the whole plant into powder or used alcohol for concentration of the active ingredients, to make this plant available to market. After this process is complete, the finished product can be in the form of capsules, tablets or liquid. The newest product form created is the Hoodia patch.

The Hoodia patch is a transdermal patch, which means the ingredients in the patch are absorbed through your skin. Besides weight loss patches, there are also Hoodia patches that are used for stopping smoking. The majority of them, however, are used for losing weight.

Transdermal patches are preferred by many people due to their ease and anonymity. Like other treatments of this type, Hoodia patches use a time release formula that releases the active ingredient into the bloodstream incrementally over the course of 24 hours.

It is ideal that a person should be able to use one Hoodia patch daily. It is advised to replace every 24 hours. If the patch comes off, it can be replaced with another one.

Believe it or not, there are people who actually get so busy that they can’t make time to eat. The Hoodia patch can be helpful in that type of situation. Care must be taken, however, to drink plenty of fluids and not become dehydrated. This is a danger because Hoodia suppresses thirst as well as appetite.

No adverse side effects have been noted in regard to Hoodia. The Hoodia patch does not contain any drugs. Therefore, unlike nicotine and hormonal patches, skin contact should not cause any problems.

Before beginning on this or any weight loss program, it is important to check with your doctor. It is also advisable to reduce your caloric intake gradually.