Numb, tingly, painful fingertips after frostnip...Prognosis?

Got caught in a storm on a long alpine route 2 weeks ago and the next day my fingertips were pretty painful and sensitive---no skin damage though...they've gotten a little better in 2 weeks but I'm still concerned (I'm a professional musician also).  Anybody have any experience with this and any idea when things might get better?
Thanks

Sorry to hear about that.  My only cold issues were some frozen toes after falling into a stream while ice climbing, forcing me to endure two hours of hiking back to the car with a boot full of snowmelt.  It took about a year for sensation to return back to normal in the affected toes.

Did you see a doctor?

Smith Curry wrote:Prognosis?

YGD.

I had a similar sensation in my fingers after biking to work on a -50 morning this winter. I think the pain went away after a couple days, but there was still that kind of "reheated" feeling for a couple of weeks.

No blisters? Peeling skin? Probably ok  but always  more sensitive  to cold. Frostbitten toes years ago skiing and I have to wear boot heaters when it's really cold. It's been 20 years plus.

Smith Curry wrote: Got caught in a storm on a long alpine route 2 weeks ago and the next day my fingertips were pretty painful and sensitive---no skin damage though...they've gotten a little better in 2 weeks but I'm still concerned (I'm a professional musician also).  Anybody have any experience with this and any idea when things might get better?
Thanks

I had a similar experience a few winters ago touring in the Wasatch. It didn't feel overly cold but the wind was really strong, I had numb fingers on and off and kept swinging my arms around to get them back. Once back at the car I realized I had been a bit loose about the whole thing, every one of the tips felt swollen and tender. There was no visible damage but light numbness and tingling in the tips which faded over the course of a couple of weeks. I continued feeling it when putting pressure on the index/thumb pads for a solid 3 months. Either it resolved or I grew used to it, it's hard to tell.  

Edit: as June M mentioned, once it's happened the area appears significantly more sensitive to repeat frostnip/bite. I had never been bothered by the cold but the past 2 winters have been hell on my fingers, I went from light softshell gloves every day to shell+liner beefy leather gloves and I'm still cold most of the time.

Part of the issue with frost nip/bite is not only damage to the tissue and vessels but also the nerves. That is what you are dealing with, nerve damage. The nerves will come back just takes some time.

Boissal . wrote:

Edit: as June M mentioned, once it's happened the area appears significantly more sensitive to repeat frostnip/bite. I had never been bothered by the cold but the past 2 winters have been hell on my fingers, I went from light softshell gloves every day to shell+liner beefy leather gloves and I'm still cold most of the time.

I broke down last year and bought OR heated gloves. Regarding my poor feet, thanks to mild frostbite in college (Franconia range traverse in NH), I've used Hotronics boot heaters ever since they first became available in the 80's. I wouldn't be able to ski below 40F otherwise.

1 year is my guess

The feeling will return just takes time happened to me and my climbing buddy one winter in Cody.....

5 degree high wasn't worth the tissue damage.......But it was our first time up  Sendero Illuminoso so we went for it.

That was the last day we climbed that trip as the temps were too cold........

And it's not quite as permanent as frost bite but I swear in the winter there are fingers and toes that feel it first.....

Seems mt fingers and toes had that feeling for months until it was gone

If you lost feeling and it didn't come back as you rewarmed the area but color did return you got minor frostbite, it will remedy its self in about 6 weeks or so and you will get 99% of feeling back, then it takes a few more weeks to get that 1% afterwards you should be as before. This is based on my personal experience with minor frostbite, so your times may vary, you should make a full recovery though in a fairly short time. 

Thanks for all the replies everyone! Hopefully things just get better quickly

Smith Curry,
I see you post was from August 2019. I am curious if your fingertips healed? Last weekend I was outside in the 15 degree weather taking a photo without gloves on for under 10 mins. My face was not even cold and from what I remember the sun was out and no wind, but by the time I got back in my car, my hands were dark red and painful. Nothing I haven’t experienced before! Definitely no clear signs of frostbite (no pale/white skin, blisters, etc). Suspicions it was frostnip. But so confused how that happened so quickly! Anyway, they were fine the rest of the day and the next. By the third day, my fingertips were in pain, tingly and numb. Especially sensitive to cold (less so to warm water). It’s been 6 days since the incident, and like you I’m wondering if this is temporary. It’s very unpleasant! Please update me if you see this. Thank you!  

Midwestern W...  things got better but it took a while, maybe three months. It was all pretty shocking for me as well because I have been frozen so many times from so many years of ice climbing and alpinism  and this wasn't very cold. I feel like they are still just slightly weird when it gets cold but basically all is good. Hope this helps