Cold: “polar” cream to protect against frostbite

Anicet Mbida 06:54, February 18, 2022

Some of you may be lucky enough to be in the mountains, doing winter sports.

You know that it is recommended to put on sunscreen to protect yourself from UV rays.

Soon, we could also wear “fleece” cream to protect against frostbite.

Chilblains, we remind you, are red or purplish patches that can form when it is very cold on all the extremities (fingers, toes, ears, nose).

They are like frozen.

We begin by losing sensitivity.

And when the skin heats up, it can become extremely painful (it feels like stings and burns).

You can prevent frostbite by protecting yourself from the cold.

But it can happen to be poorly equipped.

We are also not immune to a bad surprise, an icy wind that falls on us.

Well, this "polar" cream will also have a preventive role since it will slow down the formation and development of chilblains.

Should you put it on before going out, or as soon as you start to feel the cold?

No, before going out… like sunscreen.

In fact, it is composed of products that prevent the formation of ice crystals inside the skin.

This is what ends up damaging them and creating frostbite.

Moreover, to remain protected, it will not be necessary to forget to spread regularly.

Because the effect fades quite quickly: after an hour, we will no longer have any protection.

It is an invention of a team of researchers from AcSIR, the famous Indian research academy.

Do we know when it will be available?

Not for this winter, unfortunately.

Like any medical product, it still has to pass a whole battery of tests before it is marketed (clinical trials, authorizations, etc.).

All of this will take time.

But it's still reassuring to know that we will soon have a simple cream to protect us from the ravages of the cold.

Because today, there is not much except making sure you always have a heater nearby.