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Caring for your face, hands, and feet after cold exposure
If small areas of your body (ears, face, nose, fingers, or toes) are really cold or frozen, try these first aid measures to warm the areas.
- Avoid activities that can further damage cold-injured skin.
- Do not rub or massage frozen skin.
- Do not rewarm frozen skin if refreezing is possible. Wait until you reach shelter. The injury will be worse if your skin freezes, thaws, and then refreezes.
- Do not walk on frozen feet if possible. But it is better to walk on frozen feet than to thaw your feet if there is a chance they will refreeze.
- Do not put snow on the area or pack snow around the limb.
- Warm small areas of the body.
- Blow warm air onto cold hands.
- Tuck hands or feet inside warm clothing next to bare skin. Place chilled fingers in an armpit.
- Cup cold ears with warm hands.
- Put cold hands, feet, or ears in warm (not hot) water for 15 to 30 minutes. Do not use water above 108 F (42 C).
- Warm towels can be used to warm the genital area but be careful not to burn the skin.
- Use a hot water bottle covered with a cloth or a heating pad on a low setting. Be careful not to burn your skin.
- Protect the cold or frozen body part from further cold exposure and bruising.
Pad frozen fingers or toes. Gently wrap fingers or toes in soft, dry material, such as cotton or gauze.
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