If a few hours after coming in from the cold your fingers or toes itch, burn and turn red or purple, it may be chilblains. The NHS says chilblains usually go away on their own in 2 to 3 weeks, and warns not to put your hands or feet on a radiator or under hot water to warm them. Dry your skin and warm it slowly first. This sets out the NHS page “Chilblains” (reviewed 22 April 2026).
1. Dry, then warm slowly. No radiators or hot water.
2. Don’t scratch or pick. Avoid smoking, caffeinated drinks and decongestants too, the page says.
3. Not better after 2 to 3 weeks? See a GP. The same with diabetes, repeated chilblains, pus or a high temperature.
What chilblains look like
- Small, itchy patches appearing a few hours after being in the cold
- Usually on fingers and toes, sometimes the face and legs
- Itching or burning, with fingers or toes turning red or purple
- Redness can be harder to see on brown and black skin
Why they happen — narrowing, then widening
The NHS explains that cold makes the blood vessels in fingers and toes narrower; when you warm up, the deeper vessels stay narrow while those nearer the surface widen, causing pain, itching and colour changes. That is why you should not warm up fast (our reading — joining the two sentences). Smoking, caffeine and decongestants also affect blood flow to the hands and feet.
Do and don’t — NHS
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (our gloss) |
|---|---|---|
| Do | Dry and slowly warm your skin after cold exposure | Drying comes first |
| Do | Wear warm, waterproof clothing, gloves and thick socks when going out | Waterproof is named too |
| Don’t | Put your feet or hands on a radiator or under hot water to warm them | Don’t warm up fast |
| Don’t | Scratch or pick at your skin | Even when it itches |
| Don’t | Smoking, caffeinated drinks, decongestant medicine | They affect blood flow |
The right-hand column is our gloss. Caffeine limits are in how much caffeine a day.
Why “slowly” is the key
The NHS don’ts point one way — don’t change the blood vessels in your hands and feet suddenly. Narrowed vessels warmed fast by hot water or a radiator widen only near the surface, causing pain and itching, and the reason to avoid smoking, caffeine and decongestants (their effect on blood flow to the hands and feet) belongs to the same idea (our reading). So the NHS order is to dry damp skin first and warm up gradually indoors.
The NHS also explains why diabetes is singled out — with diabetes, foot problems can be more serious. And because redness can be harder to see on brown and black skin, itching and burning may be the better signs to notice (our reading).
From a pharmacy
A pharmacist can recommend a lotion that may help soothe itching.
When to see a GP
- Your skin is not getting better after 2 to 3 weeks
- You keep getting chilblains
- You have diabetes — foot problems can be more serious with diabetes
- Pus from the skin, a very high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery
Prevention — NHS
Try to avoid being outside when it is cold or damp, and avoid smoking, caffeine and decongestants. Other cold-related illness, such as hypothermia, is in cold-related illness in winter.
Checklist
- ☐ After coming in, dry your skin and warm it slowly
- ☐ No radiators or hot water to warm up fast
- ☐ Don’t scratch
- ☐ Gloves, thick socks, waterproof clothing
- ☐ Still there after 2 to 3 weeks, or diabetic? See a GP
Questions that remain
Is it the same as frostbite?
The NHS page read here covers chilblains only and does not compare them with frostbite. Korea’s cold-related illness categories are in cold-related illness in winter.
Which cream?
The NHS page names no ingredients, so we give none.
Hard frozen skin, loss of feeling or blisters suggest frostbite rather than chilblains — the NHS says go to A&E (frostbite).
Sources
- NHS — Chilblains — original (page last reviewed 22 April 2026, next review due 22 April 2029; checked 12 October 2026). A few hours after, fingers and toes, 2 to 3 weeks, dry and warm slowly, no radiators or hot water, don’t scratch, smoking, caffeine and decongestants, lotion, four GP reasons, diabetes, the blood vessel explanation.
- Not read. Korean agencies’ chilblain guidance; chilblain treatment ingredients.
- Added by us. The “worth noting” column.
Where to check further
- A pharmacy — lotion to soothe itching.
Written 12 October 2026. The content follows the NHS original; the glosses are ours.