Donal O'Kane Profile picture
Consultant Dermatologist (adult and paediatric) @BelfastTrust and @UlsterClinic. PhD, skin research, husband @Hen_OKane, Dad, cyclist 🚴‍♂️

Dec 17, 2022, 5 tweets

It’s officially #chilblain (AKA perniosis) season again ❄️ 🧊
Chilblains are itchy, burning, red/purple, lumps on the toes/fingers…
A 🧵 with some tips (based on professional and personal experience!) -
#dermtwitter

1. When at home avoid barefoot/ thin socks on cold, tiled/wooden floors
2. Keep indoor environment warm (including water bottles/ blankets where appropriate!)
3. Wrap up outside - hands, feet, core and head!… especially relevant if not moving e.g watching sport 🏉 ⚽️

4. Being thin puts you at higher risk (less padding!) so if you’re heading out, layer-up
5. Hand and foot warmers are useful
6. Keep moving - activity/ exercise improves circulation
7. Good overshoes and thick socks when cycling 🚴‍♂️

8. Warm yourself gradually after cold exposure
9. Smoking can aggravate, so worth addressing if relevant
10. Chilblains usually resolve in a week or so if you eliminate the trigger
11. Topical steroids might ease the itch, but they don’t shorten the duration

12. ‘Normal’ chilblains don’t ulcerate or become very scaly - if you experience that, your doctor should look for other causes
13. We saw an explosion of cases early in the COVID pandemic so this may play a role for a variety of reasons
The End 🛑

Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.

A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.

Keep scrolling