How to Heal Skin Damage from Frostbite
Move to a warmer place or a sheltered area., Elevate the injured area., Take off any tight fitting clothes or jewellery., Pour water with a temperature of 104–108 °F (40–42 °C) into a water bottle or a hot compress pad., Pour warm water into a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Move to a warmer place or a sheltered area.
Going to a warm place will dilate your blood vessels and increase blood flow to your extremities.
This will also prevent any further injury to your skin.
You can also warm up the affected area by wrapping it in a blanket or thick cloth. -
Step 2: Elevate the injured area.
Say, for example, you have frostbite on your feet.
Sit down in a chair and get another chair or any object that is 4–5 feet (1.2–1.5 m) tall and put your feet on it.
This will promote blood circulation., Removing these items will help with blood circulation to the frostbitten area and prevent further cell damage.
Do not wear any tight or constricting items while you are recovering from your frostbite injury., Wrap the bottle with a towel and apply it to the affected area.Do this for 30 minutes and repeat twice a day.
Always check that the water used during re-heating is warm and not too hot, as it could burn your skin.
If you only have access to heating pads, make sure the heating pads are wrapped in clothing or a towel before applying it to the frostbitten skin to prevent burns. , If you don’t have a water bottle or hot compress pad, you can pour warm water (104-108 degrees Fahrenheit) into a basin and immerse the injured area in the water for 30-45 minutes.It’s normal to feel severe pain as the tissue begins to warm up, so do not be alarmed about this.
You should slowly regain sensation and feeling in the affected area. , Massaging or rubbing the affected area will create friction that will lead to skin breakthrough.
When skin breakthrough occurs, you could develop an infection. , Do not use dry heat sources like lamps, campfire or a hair dryer to re warm the affected area.
Dry heat will burn, rather than heal, your frostbitten skin.As well, you should never apply direct heat to the injury.
If you are sitting near a fireplace, do not go too close to it or put the frostbitten area in the fire.
Direct heat can cause more damage to the skin. , It’s important to keep the skin intact when blisters occur, as your skin will serve as protection against an infection.
Blisters usually happen during frostbite and will appear as sacks with a clear or milky fluid. , For example, if your frostbite injury is on your fingers or toes, wrap each finger or toe individually in gauze.
Use at least two layers of gauze or clothing on the frostbitten area.
Keep your fingers and toes separated by putting 3-4 cotton balls between each finger or toe.
This will prevent friction between the digits and any skin breakthrough or infection. , Draining blisters can help the frostbitten area to heal as it will dry a lot faster.
You can drain blisters at home, but ideally, it should be done in a sterile area to reduce the risk of infection.Medical professionals will also have access to medication to deal with any pain that may be experienced when draining the blisters.
At a hospital, draining blisters is usually an outpatient procedure which requires only a topical anesthesia. , Acetaminophen can be taken to decrease swelling and pain in the frostbitten area.
It reduces the prostaglandins in the brain that are responsible for inflammation and swelling.
It also relieves pain by increasing a person's threshold to pain and reduces fever by acting on the heat-regulating center of the brain.Acetaminophen can be taken as solution/suspension, liquid, tablets, caplets or gelcaps.
The dose for adults is 325 to 650 mg every 4 hours or 500 mg every 8 hours. , Usually, the affected area will start to turn pinkish and become softer as it starts to heal.
Early stages of frostbite may take a few days to a week while more serious cases of frostbites may take up to three months to heal., If you do not see improvements after three months, you may need further treatment such as debridement or skin grafting.
Skin debridement is when the pus or fluid inside the blister is removed to encourage the area to heal.
Skin grafting is when you remove the damaged skin and replace it with a new one from another part of the body. , When the body is exposed to extreme cold, the body reacts.
The blood vessels constrict in our extremities, causing sensations on the skin, and diverts the blood and oxygen to our major organs.
If the constriction of blood happens in the body for a long period of time, there is a decrease in blood supply and oxygen, which causes damage to skin tissue., If the affected area turns black, this is a sign of severe frostbite. , Depending on the duration of exposure and how cold the skin becomes, frostbite can affect the superficial part of the skin, as well as the underlying tissues.The first level of frostbite only affects the epidermis or outermost layer of the skin.
The second level of frostbite affects all the layers of the skin and the fatty tissues.
The third level affects all the layers of the skin, the fatty tissues, and underlying tissues like your muscles. -
Step 3: Take off any tight fitting clothes or jewellery.
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Step 4: Pour water with a temperature of 104–108 °F (40–42 °C) into a water bottle or a hot compress pad.
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Step 5: Pour warm water into a basin.
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Step 6: Avoid massaging or rubbing the area.
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Step 7: Never use dry heat to heal frostbite.
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Step 8: Avoid touching any blisters on a frostbite injury.
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Step 9: Wrap the blistered area with gauze or a clean cloth.
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Step 10: If possible
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Step 11: have a medical professional drain any blisters.
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Step 12: Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain relief.
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Step 13: Consult with your doctor if your blisters do not heal or the skin does not return to normal after three months.
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Step 14: Ask your doctor about other treatment to help your skin heal.
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Step 15: Notice if you feel pain
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Step 16: numbness
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Step 17: or needles and pins on the surface of the exposed skin.
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Step 18: Check for any darkened
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Step 19: or gray areas on the exposed skin.The texture of the skin in the affected area may also feel hard and you may develop blisters.
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Step 20: Be aware of the three levels of frostbite.
Detailed Guide
Going to a warm place will dilate your blood vessels and increase blood flow to your extremities.
This will also prevent any further injury to your skin.
You can also warm up the affected area by wrapping it in a blanket or thick cloth.
Say, for example, you have frostbite on your feet.
Sit down in a chair and get another chair or any object that is 4–5 feet (1.2–1.5 m) tall and put your feet on it.
This will promote blood circulation., Removing these items will help with blood circulation to the frostbitten area and prevent further cell damage.
Do not wear any tight or constricting items while you are recovering from your frostbite injury., Wrap the bottle with a towel and apply it to the affected area.Do this for 30 minutes and repeat twice a day.
Always check that the water used during re-heating is warm and not too hot, as it could burn your skin.
If you only have access to heating pads, make sure the heating pads are wrapped in clothing or a towel before applying it to the frostbitten skin to prevent burns. , If you don’t have a water bottle or hot compress pad, you can pour warm water (104-108 degrees Fahrenheit) into a basin and immerse the injured area in the water for 30-45 minutes.It’s normal to feel severe pain as the tissue begins to warm up, so do not be alarmed about this.
You should slowly regain sensation and feeling in the affected area. , Massaging or rubbing the affected area will create friction that will lead to skin breakthrough.
When skin breakthrough occurs, you could develop an infection. , Do not use dry heat sources like lamps, campfire or a hair dryer to re warm the affected area.
Dry heat will burn, rather than heal, your frostbitten skin.As well, you should never apply direct heat to the injury.
If you are sitting near a fireplace, do not go too close to it or put the frostbitten area in the fire.
Direct heat can cause more damage to the skin. , It’s important to keep the skin intact when blisters occur, as your skin will serve as protection against an infection.
Blisters usually happen during frostbite and will appear as sacks with a clear or milky fluid. , For example, if your frostbite injury is on your fingers or toes, wrap each finger or toe individually in gauze.
Use at least two layers of gauze or clothing on the frostbitten area.
Keep your fingers and toes separated by putting 3-4 cotton balls between each finger or toe.
This will prevent friction between the digits and any skin breakthrough or infection. , Draining blisters can help the frostbitten area to heal as it will dry a lot faster.
You can drain blisters at home, but ideally, it should be done in a sterile area to reduce the risk of infection.Medical professionals will also have access to medication to deal with any pain that may be experienced when draining the blisters.
At a hospital, draining blisters is usually an outpatient procedure which requires only a topical anesthesia. , Acetaminophen can be taken to decrease swelling and pain in the frostbitten area.
It reduces the prostaglandins in the brain that are responsible for inflammation and swelling.
It also relieves pain by increasing a person's threshold to pain and reduces fever by acting on the heat-regulating center of the brain.Acetaminophen can be taken as solution/suspension, liquid, tablets, caplets or gelcaps.
The dose for adults is 325 to 650 mg every 4 hours or 500 mg every 8 hours. , Usually, the affected area will start to turn pinkish and become softer as it starts to heal.
Early stages of frostbite may take a few days to a week while more serious cases of frostbites may take up to three months to heal., If you do not see improvements after three months, you may need further treatment such as debridement or skin grafting.
Skin debridement is when the pus or fluid inside the blister is removed to encourage the area to heal.
Skin grafting is when you remove the damaged skin and replace it with a new one from another part of the body. , When the body is exposed to extreme cold, the body reacts.
The blood vessels constrict in our extremities, causing sensations on the skin, and diverts the blood and oxygen to our major organs.
If the constriction of blood happens in the body for a long period of time, there is a decrease in blood supply and oxygen, which causes damage to skin tissue., If the affected area turns black, this is a sign of severe frostbite. , Depending on the duration of exposure and how cold the skin becomes, frostbite can affect the superficial part of the skin, as well as the underlying tissues.The first level of frostbite only affects the epidermis or outermost layer of the skin.
The second level of frostbite affects all the layers of the skin and the fatty tissues.
The third level affects all the layers of the skin, the fatty tissues, and underlying tissues like your muscles.
About the Author
Samantha Baker
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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