How Long It Takes To Get Frostbite

What is frostbite? - Frostbite is considered a type of burn that happens when the skin and tissues below it begin to freeze. It usually occurs when skin is exposed to below-freezing temperatures for a certain amount of time, which varies based on the temperature and how fast the wind is blowing (windchill). How long does it take to get frostbite?- The colder the temperature, the faster you can get frostbite. And when you add wind and water to the mix, the process speeds up even more. Every person and every situation are different, but here are a few guidelines for understanding the risk for frostbite:

When the temperature is zero degrees Fahrenheit or below, it takes about 30 minutes for exposed skin to get frostbite.
At 15 degrees below zero with even a little bit of wind, frostbite is possible within 15 minutes.
What does frostbite look like?

In more mild cases of frostbite, the skin appears pale blue or grayish. In severe cases, red and swollen blisters can develop after rewarming the affected areas. Afterward, skin can turn dark purple or black if tissues are badly damaged.
Early symptoms of frostbite

Your fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin are the most common places for frostbite. Knowing the early symptoms can help you treat frostbite fast and have the best recovery outcome. Here’s what the first signs of it look and feel like:

Your skin starts to become cold
You may experience a pins-and-needles sensation
You have a loss of feeling (numbness)
Your skin turns white or a pale, bluish gray
Your skin feels stiff or rubbery to the touch

Stages of frostbite

There are three stages of frostbite: mild, superficial and severe. These are determined by how deeply your skin and tissues have frozen. Mild frostbite (frostnip)

Mild frostbite is when your skin has been irritated by the cold, causing pain or numbness. You may feel a tingling, prickly sensation when the skin warms again. Mild frostbite is temporary and can be treated at home (we cover treatment remedies below).
Superficial frostbite

When skin layers have frozen farther down, it’s considered superficial frostbite. In addition to the pain and numbness of mild frostbite, at this stage your skin also becomes slightly discolored, turning light blue or grayish. When the skin is gently rewarmed, you may experience a prickly, burning sensation, swelling, and the area might feel warm (a sign it’s been affected more seriously). 12-36 hours later you may notice fluid-filled blisters. You can treat superficial frostbite with home remedies right when it happens, but you should seek medical care soon after rewarming the skin.
Deep frostbite (severe)

Deep frostbite (the most severe kind) means that all the layers of your skin and the tissues beneath it have frozen significantly. When this happens, your skin turns white or a bluish gray, and is numb to feelings of cold or pain. It may be stiff and rubbery when touched, and your joints and muscles may have difficulty working. After rewarming the skin, fluid-filled blisters may appear within 24-48 hours, and the damaged skin will turn black.

Severe frostbite has longer-term affects and requires immediate medical attention – sometimes involving hospitalization. In the most critical cases, tissues are seriously damaged and amputation may be needed if blood flow to the skin is permanently blocked. In other instances of severe frostbite, patients may avoid amputation, but experience lifelong numbness in the affected areas.

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