Frostbite is a category of severe cold injury that leads to damage to the skin and underlying tissues. The bare exposure of one’s skin to the extremity of cold weather, such as in the alpine and mountain regions, leads to frostbite.
Estimates suggest that around 15% of tourists who visit Nepal engage in activities of mountain climbing. These numbers are in thousands, and so is the number of frost bites in hundreds.
We have thoroughly discussed the stages of frostbite, in our complimentary blog Why Does Frostbite Occur In Mountain Climbers?.
Taking note of all the stages of frostbite and severities as a collective data, 80-85% of individuals recover completely without requiring amputation of limbs or fingers. Overall, frostbite is a serious issue that must be addressed immediately!
The speed and rapidity at which frostbite develops have a direct relationship with a lot of factors. Factors like temperature, wind chill, humidity, and mainly the durations of prolonged exposure as a result of altitude sickness that keep a solo climber at a cold altitude for hours before help arrives.
Below is an overview of how quickly frostbite can occur at various temperatures:
At 20°F (-6°C)
At a cold temperature of around 20°F (-6°C), the quickness of developing frostbite is approximately 30 minutes. This timeframe is usually a result of severe skin exposure to wind and the cold for extended periods.
Although not the coldest temperature, -6 degrees is still cold enough to amplify and increase the likelihood of frostbite.
Initially, the skin begins to freeze, followed by numbness, also referred to as loss of feeling, and possible damage to tissue occurs. If not treated quickly, the affected areas can progress from frostnip to a severe stage of frostbite.
At 15°F (-9°C)
As the temperature diminishes to 15°F (-9°C), the probability of frostbite occurring amplifies much more rapidly. With the intensity of the drop in temperature, frostbite can set in as quickly as 15–30 minutes of exposure.
Especially if the wind flow is great, it increases the cooling effect. As the air gets drier and frosty, the human body begins to let go of heat, providing a hostile environment for frostbite to thrive.
At 5°F (-15°C)
At a point where temperatures drop insanely low, such as 5°F (-15°C), frostbite can occur almost as immediately as the coldness brushes the skin of victims. This time is often framed as little as 10–15 minutes with direct skin exposure.
The skin becomes numb almost immediately, and the victim may experience a tingling or burning sensation. This is an episode of the body responding to the scary and extreme cold situation.
Prolonged exposure in the absence of adequate protection and immediate addressing of the declining bite can invite irreversible, deep damage to the skin and tissues.
At 0°F (-18°C)
At temperatures around 0°F (-18°C), frostbite is a major threat, with the victims’ symptoms kicking in as soon as 5-10 minutes around the clock.
The risk of frostbite is insanely high in such extreme cold, especially when you’re exposed without protective clothing. Continued exposure forces the blood vessels to constrict, leading to diminished blood circulation, which second ending with possible tissue death
Tissue death means scenarios of amputation may linger around!
How Long Before Frostbite Turns Black?
Frostbite does not normally just turn the skin black – it goes through various stages of injury before reaching the necrosis stage. The level of frostbite injury is determined by both the extent of exposure and the temperature. Here’s how frostbite develops in stages:
1. Frostnip
This is the least serious one, but it still targets the skin colors by rendering them pale or red and making the area numb while feeling cold. Just like other milder forms of frostbite, this can also be reversed using warming, but if left untreated, it can develop into deeper forms of frostbite.
2. Superficial Frostbite
This happens when crystals are formed just below the skin surface. Skin color changes to pale or bluish white with a tinged yellow. Additionally, the person feels numb and loses all sensation in the area. If circulation is not regularly restored, then the area does indeed turn black.
3. Deep Frostbite
This is the worst stage of frostbite where the tissues targeted are pale, bluish more on the skin color with bits of hard and black tissue where all tissue has died.
This stage targets skin, muscles, and even bone tissue. Without treatment, the tissues subjected to frostbite do indeed turn into black necrotic tissues. This happens because the blood supply is no longer reaching that specific spot, leading to tissue necrosis.
Frostbite can take anywhere from days to weeks to turn black, but in grave situations where no action is taken to improve warm circulation, the tissue damage can progress more quickly.
When tissues remain frozen for extended periods, thawing them too slowly results in faster and further blackening of frostbite.
How Long Does Frostnip Take to Heal?
Frostnip is the first stage of cold injury, where only the skin might get frozen. If treated properly, it will cause no long-term injury to a person and will heal in no time. With the appropriate care, it heals quite fast.
To tell the time it would take to heal from frostnip, one would also have to consider how badly frostbite is inflicted, as well as how fast one gets to rewarm the affected part of the body:
Treats ranging from mild to moderate cases of frostnip can heal between a couple of hours to a day as soon as the skin and blood circulation warm back to normal.
Healing in between severe cases of frostnip can take a bit longer, going up to a few days. The area with frostbite might stay numb or tingly for some time until the nerves recover.
The most suitable approach to remedy frostnip is increasing the temperature of the afflicted area carefully. This means no rubbing or placing direct heat to the skin in concern as it can aggravate the condition. A suitable alternate is hot water or even body temperature to warm the skin region.
Prevention of Frostbite and Frostnip
The best way to avoid frostbite and frostnip is to prevent prolonged exposure to extreme cold temperatures. Some key prevention tips include:
- Wear protective clothing: Layer up with moisture-wicking clothing, thermal socks, hats, gloves, and scarves to minimize heat loss.
- Keep moving: Staying active helps maintain circulation, reducing the chances of frostbite.
- Avoid alcohol and tobacco: Both can impair circulation and increase the risk of cold injuries.
- Cover exposed skin: Ensure that all skin is covered when venturing into cold weather, especially on windy days.
- Monitor the weather: Always check the weather forecast for wind chill and temperature warnings before spending extended time outside.
