What to do
- 1Decide about thawing. If there's any chance the area will freeze again, do NOT thaw it — refreezing causes worse injury. If it's already thawed, wrap it so it can't refreeze.
- 2Get out of the cold, remove wet clothes, and wrap up warm. Outside, warm frostbitten hands in your armpits and protect face, nose, and ears with dry, gloved hands.
- 3Gently rewarm, once somewhere it won't refreeze: soak the skin in warm water for about 30 minutes; for the nose or ears, hold warm, wet cloths on the area about 30 minutes.
- 4Give a warm, nonalcoholic drink if the person is alert.
- 5A nonprescription pain reliever can be used if needed — rewarming can be painful.
- 6Remove rings and tight items before the area swells.
- 7Get medical care for anything beyond mild frostnip.
Seek emergency care for intense pain that persists after rewarming, intense shivering, slurred speech, drowsiness, trouble walking, or suspected hypothermia — which takes priority; treat the whole-body cold emergency first.
When to use it
- Winter camping, snow sports, and cold-weather hikes — exposed skin and extremities in wind and cold.
- Catching early frostnip (numb, pale fingertips or ear tips) and acting before it becomes true frostbite.
- Knowing when a cold injury is also hypothermia and needs 911.
Common mistakes & safety
- Never rub frostbitten skin — not with snow, not with your hands. Ice crystals in the frozen tissue tear it when rubbed.
- Never use direct heat — stove, fire, heat lamp, heating pad, blow-dryer, or car heater. Frozen, numb skin can't feel a burn, and direct heat cooks it.
- Never thaw if refreezing is possible. A part that thaws and refreezes is far worse off than one that stays frozen until you reach real warmth.
- Don't walk on frostbitten feet unless you must to reach safety — using them causes more damage.
- Treat hypothermia first. If the person is also shivering hard, confused, or drowsy, the whole-body cold emergency outranks the frostbite — call 911.
- Prevent it. Cover extremities, stay dry, watch each other's faces for white patches, and warm up early.
Going deeper
- Frostnip is the warning shot. It's fully reversible and painless-numb, but it means conditions are cold enough to cause real frostbite — respond immediately.
- Why refreezing is so bad. Each freeze-thaw cycle destroys more tissue, so keeping a part frozen until you can thaw it for good is better than a partial thaw on the trail.
- Buddy checks. Frostbite is often painless and on the face where you can't see it — partners watching each other's cheeks, ears, and noses for waxy white patches catch it early.
Official source
Frostbite: first aid — Mayo Clinic →This is general first-aid information, not a substitute for hands-on training. Anything beyond mild frostnip needs medical care.