Snow. Ski. Skate. Sled. Snowboard. Frostbite—wait, frostbite is not part of the winter fun. But it's a possibility if you don't protect yourself against the winter cold.

Frostbite is what happens when the skin and/or the tissue under the skin freezes and causes cell damage. Your feet, hands, nose, ears, and face are at the highest risk. Frostbite symptoms include numbness and loss of sensation, your skin may appear pale, red, bluish gray, or black with blisters.

"It doesn't need to be freezing cold outside to sustain frostbite. Frostbite depends on the length of time you're exposed to the weather," says Jackie Heinle, RN, nurse manager in the Burn Treatment Center at UI Hospitals and Clinics.

Frostbite prevention

• Dress warmly, use multiple layers, cover body areas prone to injury
• Have a change of dry clothing so you can remove wet clothing
• Keep your hands and feet dry, avoid wearing tight-fitting clothing
• Move indoors to a warmer environment when you begin to feel cold

Frostbite treatment

• Remove wet clothing, drink something warm
• Do not walk on frostbitten feet—it increases damage
• Put the affected body part into warm water comfortable to the touch for 15 to 30 minutes; if warm water is not available, wrap affected body parts in a blanket
• Do not use direct heat from a heating pad, heat lamp, or fire place; affected areas are numb and can be burned
• Avoid rubbing the affected area with snow (a common "folk remedy")