Which statement best describes the difference between superficial and deep frostbite?

• A. Superficial frostbite involves only skin surface with numbness; Deep frostbite involves white, hard tissue
• B. Both are treated the same
• C. Superficial frostbite is more dangerous than deep frostbite
• D. Deep frostbite affects only nerves

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how deep the injury goes. Superficial frostbite is limited to the skin and a bit of the underlying tissue, and it typically presents with numbness or tingling as the area thaws. The skin may look pale or waxy but isn’t yet hard or deeply involved. Deep frostbite goes much further, into muscles, nerves, and even bone; the skin becomes white, pale, or waxy and feels very hard, with loss of sensation due to nerve and tissue damage. This distinction—surface involvement with numbness versus deeper tissue involvement with a hard, insensate area—best describes the difference between superficial and deep frostbite.