I tell my Breast Augmentation patients, "Ice is nice." After surgery, ice can often work better than pain pills. Ice won't cause constipation, nausea and disorientation. No matter how safe something seems, however, there are always risks and benefits, and ice can cause frostbite. Normally, it takes prolonged exposure and direct contact to the ice to cause problems. It can range in increasing severity from temporary red spots that last a few hours, to prolonged red spots that can last weeks. More severe damage manifests as blisters or even worse to scabbing from freezing the skin cells to death. Think Everest.To reduce the risk of frostbite:1) Limit icing to 15 minutes on and 45 minutes off.2) Always keep cloth between you and the ice.3) If you notice changes to the skin that do not resolve before the next icing, you may have a problem, so inform your surgeon directly.If spots have not resolved in 45 minutes, you are likely damaging your skin. Let your plastic surgeon know what is happening so they can help you. Red spots usually resolve without a permanent mark, but they can hyperpigment (tan), and this can take months to resolve. Blistering and scabbing should be brought to your plastic surgeon's attention ASAP, so that a proper evaluation and care can be instituted.
