COLD BURN

Cold burn also called frostbite occurs when exposure to low temperatures causes freezing of the skin or other tissues. In Kenya’s high altitude areas such as Limuru, Nyahururu, Kirinyaga, Nanyuki, Timau and other surrounding areas; are prone to skin problems, which manifest in terms of cold burns or windburn on their faces. This kind of susceptibility occurs in places where the temperature drops rapidly at night to become extremely cool as compared to the day temperature. At night, the cold feeling is experienced on the skin surface as the body works to adapt to change in weather. The skin is seared on exposed areas by the biting cold wind. Within days of such exposure, noticeable marks are displayed around the eyes, forehead and cheeks. This is due to inflammation caused by sharpness of the breeze. Dryness, itchiness and irritation are all symptoms of cold burns. The depletion of moisture makes the skin dry and in some cases, it cracks.

The following are steps to prevent and treat cold burn at night.

Apply a thick layer of cream or jelly on the exposed areas:

Wash your skin at night and follow with the application of a suitable cream or jelly on the exposed parts. The cream should form an occlusive layer on the skin to help to protect it.

Cover your face as you sleep:

Suitable face covering goes a long way in keeping the skin warm, and this will prevent the burns from appearing.

Use sunscreen during the day:

The difference in temperatures during the day and at night can cause your skin to redden and become inflamed. The judicious use of sunscreen on a regular basis during the day will help a lot in controlling the effects of weather temperature difference on delicate parts of the skin.

Healing the cold burns:

The foremost thing to do is to make sure that you handle your skin carefully to prevent any further irritation from occurring. Apply 1% hydrocortisone cream on the affected areas for one week. This cream should be used on prescription basis. Do not continue to use the cream once your skin heals.

Avoid the temptation to use skin lighteners on your face in a bid to remove the discolouration. The chemicals contained in the skin bleaching products will end up reacting with the already damaged skin. This will make your situation worse because you will have to deal with chemical burns as well as the cold burns, your skin will end up permanently damaged.