Frostnip/Frostbite treatment?

**Vitamin I** · 12-02-2007, 05:36 PM

OK, I'm a Californian in Whistler, clueless about what I should do with the fristnip/mild frostbite on my chin. It is mild, so doctor seems overkill to me.

My ski mask protected me fine when I skied Harmony chair in -17C (or -19C?) weather Saturday. After that upper lift closed at 2:30pm, I squeezed in 4 high-speed groomer runs down lower, and the windchill from skiing at higher speeds left my chin with frostnip (turns out the mouth hole in my mask has ripped larger and was letting in too much wind). My chin looked a little swollen after rewarming at 4pm, but not bad at all, then started oozing fluid at 7pm.

Web search implies I should take about 250mg aspirin per day for a while, put aloe ointment on it a few times per day, and keep my chin out of the cold for a while, and go to doctor only if infection occurs.

QUESTIONS: Should I take a few days off skiing to let it heal? Or just protect my chin better and keep skiing every day, making sure to rewarm it in the lodge any time my chin begins to get cold? Is my aspirin and aloe plan good/sufficient?

Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

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**Theodore** · 12-03-2007, 09:57 AM

That depends if you don't mind scarring and a huge chunk of dead flesh on your face. Any pics? I would tend to be a little more conservative with face damage...

**Vitamin I** · 12-07-2007, 01:27 AM

Originally Posted by Vitamin I

...Web search implies I should take about 250mg aspirin per day for a while, put aloe ointment on it a few times per day, and keep my chin out of the cold for a while, and go to doctor only if infection occurs...

Happy ending: I did what "the web" told me, and everything turned out OK. Took aspirin to thin the blood to aid circulation to the area. Aloe ointment to sooth and promote healing. 3 days without skiing to keep chin out of the cold. On Day3, a thick layer of dead skin peeled off my chin, and the new skin underneath looks good, and my whiskers are still growing (not dead). So, I guess it was like a bad 2nd degree sunburn. I will make sure that tissue does not get cold again this winter, because "the web" says that recovered frostbitten tissue is more susceptible to future frostbite/frostnip.

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**0BernhardFranz** · 12-14-2007, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by Vitamin I

Happy ending: I did what "the web" told me, and everything turned out OK. Took aspirin to thin the blood to aid circulation to the area. Aloe ointment to sooth and promote healing. 3 days without skiing to keep chin out of the cold. On Day3, a thick layer of dead skin peeled off my chin, and the new skin underneath looks good, and my whiskers are still growing (not dead). So, I guess it was like a bad 2nd degree sunburn. I will make sure that tissue does not get cold again this winter, because "the web" says that recovered frostbitten tissue is more susceptible to future frostbite/frostnip.

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I skied in Lech minus 53 t shirt and barbour jacket only - chin frooze as giant run.Skied every other day was no praw. 6 month later crust peeled off with a fresh chin under.Forget about that tiny frostbite.