Does the use of emollients prevent frostbite to the face?

What is it about?

A short cut review was carried out to establish whether routine use of emollients on the face reduced the incidence of frostbite in cold environments. 126 papers were found using the reported searches, of which three presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. It is concluded that the use of emollients on the face is not a good protection against frostbite and may even result in a higher risk.

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