For those who have experienced cold urticaria, swimming in cold water can be dangerous, as it can lead to loss of consciousness and drowning.

Cold panniculitis – which appears as enlarged, red and painful nodules on the skin – develops 12 to 72 hours after cold exposure.

Cases of cold panniculitis have been documented in children eating Popsicles and in adults undergoing whole-body cryotherapy, which is often used as treatment for chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, or for improving post-exercise recovery.

Cold panniculitis is more common during childhood and usually resolves on its own by avoiding cold exposure and direct contact with frozen products.

Symptoms from winter skin conditions are often self-limiting and resolve on their own with adequate protection from the cold. But if symptoms do not resolve, you should see a licensed dermatologist, as cold-induced rashes may be a sign of a more concerning underlying health condition.

If visiting your dermatologist in person proves difficult, you may consider seeing a dermatologist virtually, as many academic medical centers and private practices now offer telehealth dermatology.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

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Sonal Choudhary is a speaker for Regenron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi, a pharmaceutical and health care company. Their atopic dermatitis drug Dupixent could potentially benefit from an article which mentions worsening of eczema in winters. There is no direct mention of the drug in the article.

Jeffrey Chen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.