Use of adhesive patch and tension strap to reduce wrinkles in skin

Abstract

A wrinkle reducing pad is used to reduce wrinkles by applying tension to skin on a portion of the user's body, such as the face. An adhesive layer on the back of the wrinkle reducing pad is adhered to the skin, extending from a first point on the user's cheek, to a second point of the user's neck. A tension strap that is attached to one end of the adhesive pad is pulled to exert tension that tightly stretches the user's skin toward the neck. The tension strap is then removably secured to the outer surface of the adhesive pad while maintaining the tension for a desired period of time. Since the adhesive pad adheres to the skin on the neck between the two points, it prevents wrinkles from forming there as a result of the tension applied by the tension strap.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Apparatus for reducing wrinkles in a region of skin on a user, comprising:
 (a) an adhesive pad having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and including an adhesive material on the first surface, the adhesive material being selected for removably adhering the adhesive pad to the skin of the user;   (b) a tension strap having a fixed end that is attached to the second surface of the adhesive pad at one of the first end and the second end of the adhesive pad, and a free end opposite the fixed end, the free end of the tension strap being pulled for creating a desired tension on the skin adjacent to where the adhesive pad is adhered; and   (c) an attachment material that removably secures the free end of the tension strap to the upper surface of the adhesive pad at a position that maintains the desired tension created in the skin of the user by the tension strap, the attachment material being applied to at least one of:
 (i) an undersurface of the tension strap; and 
 (ii) the second surface of the adhesive pad. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive material substantially covers the entire first surface of the adhesive pad so that the adhesive pad prevents the skin to which the adhesive material is adhered from wrinkling in response to the desired tension being maintained by the tension strap. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the attachment material comprises a hook and loop fastener system, having a hook material applied to one of the undersurface of the tension strap and the second surface of the adhesive pad, and a loop material applied to the other of the undersurface of the tension strap and the second surface of the adhesive strap. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein attachment material comprises refastenable adhesive applied on at least one of the undersurface of the tension strap and the second surface of the adhesive pad. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fixed end of the tension strap is attached to the second surface of the adhesive pad using stitching. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fixed end of the tension strap is attached to the second surface of the adhesive pad using an adhesive. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fixed end of the tension strap is attached to the second surface of the adhesive pad using one or more rivets made of either a metal or a plastic material. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a protective sheet that is removably attached to and covers the adhesive material on the first surface of the adhesive pad at least before the adhesive material is adhered to a user's skin, the protective material being readily removed from the adhesive material by peeling it away from the adhesive material. 
     
     
         9 . A method for reducing wrinkles in a desired region of skin on a user, comprising:
 (a) adhering an adhesive material on an adhesive pad to an area of skin that is adjacent to the desired region of skin where the wrinkles are to be reduced;   (b) pulling a first end of the adhesive pad toward a second end of the adhesive pad to create a tension in the skin in the desired region, the tension flattening wrinkles in the desired region; and   (c) maintaining the tension in the skin in the desired region for an extended period of time, the adhesive pad keeping the skin from wrinkling under the adhesive pad and thereby preventing wrinkles from being created under the adhesive pad as a result of the tension maintained in the desired region.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein a tension strap attached to one end of the adhesive pad is pulled to create the tension in the skin in the desired region. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein maintaining the tension in the skin in the desired region comprises engaging a hook material applied on one of an undersurface of the tension strap and an outer surface of the adhesive pad with a loop material applied on the other of the undersurface of the tension strap and the outer surface of the adhesive pad to hold a free end of the tension strap in place after it is pulled to create the tension. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein maintaining the tension in the skin in the desired region comprises adhering a refastenable adhesive material disposed on at least one of an undersurface of the tension strap and an outer surface of the adhesive pad with the other of the undersurface of the tension strap and the outer surface of the adhesive pad to hold a free end of the tension strap in place after it is pulled to create the tension. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , where pulling the first end of the adhesive pad toward the second end of the adhesive pad to create the tension in the skin in the desired region includes applying digital pressure against an outer surface of the adhesive pad so that it conforms to the skin in the area as the tension in the skin in the desired region is created by pulling the tension strap. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising peeling away a protective sheet from the adhesive material before applying the adhesive material to the area of skin, thereby exposing the adhesive material so that the adhesive material can be adhered to the skin of the user in the area. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first end of the adhesive material is adhered to a cheek of the user and the area to which the adhesive material is adhered extends from the cheek of the user onto a neck of the user, so that when the tension is created, the desired region of skin extends toward a nose and an eye of the user. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 (a) adhering an adhesive material on another adhesive pad to an area of skin extending from an opposite cheek of the user onto the neck on an opposite side of a head of the user;   (b) pulling a first end of the other adhesive pad toward a second end of the other adhesive pad to create a tension in the skin in another desired region extending toward the nose and another eye of the user, the tension flattening wrinkles in the other desired region; and   (c) maintaining the tension in the skin in the other desired region for an extended period of time, the other adhesive pad keeping the skin from wrinkling under the other adhesive pad and thereby preventing wrinkles from being created under the other adhesive pad as a result of the tension maintained in the other desired region, the other adhesive pad increasing an efficacy with which the wrinkles are reduced in the desired region and in the other desired region by creating the tension in the other desired region in a generally opposite direction from the tension created in the desired region of skin.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the adhesive material on the adhesive pad is adhered to the area of skin that is adjacent to the desired region of skin just before the user intends to sleep for the extended period of time, further comprising removing the adhesive pad from the skin in the area after the user awakens. 
     
     
         18 . A kit for reducing wrinkles in a desired region of skin on a user, comprising:
 (a) an adhesive pad that includes an adhesive material on one surface for adhering the adhesive pad to an area of skin adjacent to a desired region of skin where wrinkles are to be reduced;   (b) a tension strap having one end fixed to the adhesive pad and a free end opposite the one end that can be pulled to create a selected tension in the skin within the desired region, the tension strap including an attachment material on an undersurface to attach the free end of the tension strap to an outer surface of the adhesive pad to maintain the selected tension; and   (c) instructions explaining how the user is to:
 (i) adhere the adhesive material on the one surface of the adhesive pad to the area of skin; 
 (ii) maintain the adhesive pad in conformance with the skin in the area while pulling the free end of the tension strap to create the selected tension in the desired region; and 
 (iii) removably attach the free end of the tension strap to the outer surface of the adhesive pad to maintain the selected tension in the skin of the desired region for an extended period of time. 
   
     
     
         19 . The kit of  claim 18 , further comprising a protective sheet covering the adhesive material on the one surface of the adhesive pad, wherein the instruction further explain how the user is to peel the protective sheet from the adhesive material before adhering the adhesive material to the area of skin. 
     
     
         20 . The kit of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions further explain that the user is to apply pressure on the adhesive pad with a finger while pulling the free end of the tension strap, the pressure of the finger on the adhesive pad helping to keep the adhesive material adhered to the skin in the area to maintain the adhesive pad in conformance with the skin in the area.