Protecting Hands and Feet From Cold With Scleroderma: Practical Care Between Visits

The freezer aisle gets almost everyone with scleroderma eventually. One moment you are reaching for a bag of peas, the next your fingers have gone waxy white, then a dusky blue, and the checkout line ahead feels very long. People without the condition see a chilly hand. You feel the ache, the numb clumsiness, and the small worry about whether this attack will leave a crack at the fingertip that takes weeks to close.

Good Raynaud’s hand care in scleroderma is mostly unglamorous. It happens between clinic visits, in the small decisions about gloves, dish water and thermostats that no prescription can make for you. The evidence for these habits is stronger than their humble appearance suggests, and the stakes are real, because in scleroderma the blood vessels are already narrowed and a fingertip sore heals slowly.

This explainer walks through what is actually happening in your circulation, what protects hands and feet day to day, what your team may offer when habits are not enough, and the signs that should never wait for the next appointment.

What actually happens to hands and feet during a Raynaud's attack in scleroderma

Raynaud’s phenomenon is an exaggerated version of a normal reflex. When you are cold or stressed, small arteries in the fingers and toes tighten to keep warm blood near the vital organs. In Raynaud’s, that tightening is sudden, intense and slow to release. Blood flow to the skin briefly drops, the digit blanches white, then turns blue as oxygen is used up, then flushes red and throbs as flow returns. Mayo Clinic notes that an attack can last from under a minute to several hours, and that even after warming it may take about 15 minutes for normal blood flow to come back.

Scleroderma adds a second problem underneath the spasm. Systemic sclerosis, the medical name for the form that affects internal organs and blood vessels, thickens the inner lining of small arteries and lays down scar tissue in their walls. The pipes are narrower before any spasm starts. A squeeze that a healthy artery would shrug off can, in a scleroderma artery, cut flow almost completely. This is why the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) describes Raynaud’s as present in nearly everyone with systemic scleroderma, and often the first symptom by years.

Two consequences follow. First, attacks in scleroderma tend to be more painful and longer than in primary Raynaud’s, where the vessels are structurally normal. Second, repeated low-oxygen episodes damage skin that already heals poorly, so tiny cracks at the fingertip can deepen into digital ulcers, open sores over the finger pads or knuckles. Everything in the rest of this article aims at two goals: fewer, shorter attacks, and skin tough enough to survive the ones you cannot prevent.

Does Raynaud's mean you have scleroderma?

Usually not. Raynaud’s is common; NIAMS estimates it affects around 5% of people in the United States, and most of them have primary Raynaud’s, meaning cold-sensitive vessels with no underlying disease. Scleroderma is rare by comparison. The NHS describes Raynaud’s as a possible sign of another condition, not a diagnosis of one. So a person with cold white fingers and nothing else has good odds that this is the whole story.

Clinicians look for clues that point toward the secondary form, which is Raynaud’s caused by another illness. Age at onset matters: primary Raynaud’s typically begins in the teens or twenties, while a first attack after the mid-thirties prompts a closer look. Asymmetry, attacks in only one or two fingers, pain out of proportion, fingertip pitting or sores, and puffy or tight skin are also signals. Blood tests for antinuclear antibodies (proteins the immune system makes against its own cells) and a nailfold capillaroscopy, a painless magnified look at the tiny vessels at the base of the nail, help sort the two.

Feature	Primary Raynaud’s	Raynaud’s with scleroderma
Typical onset	Teens to twenties	Any age, often adult
Pattern	Symmetric, all fingers	Can be asymmetric
Skin damage	Rare	Fingertip pits, cracks, ulcers
Nailfold vessels	Normal	Enlarged, dropped-out loops
Autoantibodies	Usually negative	Often positive
Other symptoms	None	Puffy fingers, reflux, tight skin

If you already carry a scleroderma diagnosis, this question is settled, and the practical work is protecting the vessels you have. If you have Raynaud’s alone, these features are worth mentioning at a routine check, not a reason for alarm.

Raynaud's hand care with scleroderma: the daily warmth routine

The single most useful idea in cold protection is that your fingers follow your core. When the trunk is warm, the brain has no reason to divert blood away from the hands. Gloves alone on a cold torso are like insulating the last foot of a pipe while the boiler is off. The NHS and Mayo Clinic both put whole-body warmth first: a hat, a scarf, layers over the chest, and a warm room to return to.

Timing matters as much as thickness. Put gloves on indoors, before your hands have cooled, because rewarming a hand that has already spasmed can take a quarter of an hour, per Mayo Clinic. Choose mittens over gloves when dexterity allows, since fingers warm each other. A thin liner glove under a mitten lets you remove the outer layer for keys or a phone without exposing bare skin. Chemical or rechargeable hand warmers tucked into a pocket give you something to grip between tasks; Cleveland Clinic lists them among practical measures.

Indoors, hunt the hidden cold. Refrigerator handles, cold taps, frozen food, air conditioning vents and the steering wheel of a parked car are common attack triggers. Keep oven mitts or a spare pair of gloves near the freezer. Run the tap warm before rinsing. Use an insulated cup for iced drinks, a tip Mayo Clinic gives for exactly this reason.

Finally, avoid rapid shifts. Stepping from a heated shop into a windy street is harder on scleroderma vessels than a steady cool day. Pause in a doorway, tuck hands into armpits or pockets, then move. None of this is dramatic. Done consistently, it changes how many attacks you have in a week, which is the number that decides whether your fingertips stay intact.

Raynaud's foot care tips: why toes need their own plan

Feet get less attention than hands, partly because you cannot watch them change color through a shoe. Yet toes sit farthest from the heart, spend the day pressed against the floor, and are surrounded by leather that holds moisture. In scleroderma, the same vessel narrowing applies, and NIAMS notes that ulcers can form on toes as well as fingers.

Start with footwear that is roomy in the toe box. Tight shoes compress already narrowed arteries and rub thin skin. Wool or moisture-wicking synthetic socks beat cotton, which stays damp and pulls heat away. Two thin pairs can insulate better than one thick pair, provided the shoe still fits without pressure. On very cold days, insulated boots and disposable toe warmers designed for footwear are options many people use; place them on top of the sock, not against bare skin, to avoid a burn on skin with reduced feeling.

Wet feet are the enemy. Change socks after a walk in rain or after exercise, and dry carefully between toes. Check the feet each evening, using a mirror or a family member if bending is difficult, for cracks, redness, or a small dark patch at a toe tip. Scleroderma can dull sensation, so a sore you cannot feel is still a sore.

At night, warm socks and a bed warmed before you climb in help, but avoid hot water bottles or electric blankets directly on feet, since numb skin cannot judge temperature. The NHS advises keeping the home warm as a core Raynaud’s measure; that applies at ankle height too, where floors run several degrees colder than the thermostat suggests. Slippers indoors are not fussiness. They are part of the plan.

What triggers a scleroderma flare-up in the hands?

People use the word flare loosely, and it helps to separate two things. A Raynaud’s attack is a short vascular spasm with a clear trigger. A scleroderma flare, in the sense of worsening skin thickening or organ involvement, is slower and driven by the immune process itself. Both matter for hands, but different levers move them.

Cold is the obvious attack trigger. Emotional stress is the second, because adrenaline tightens the same small arteries; a tense meeting in a cool office can whiten fingers as effectively as a winter morning. Nicotine constricts blood vessels directly, and the NHS lists smoking among the things that make Raynaud’s worse. Caffeine may do the same in some people, so the NHS suggests limiting it if you notice a link. Vibration from power tools, and repetitive gripping, are recognized irritants to finger circulation.

Certain medicines can worsen Raynaud’s, including some blood pressure drugs in the beta blocker class, some migraine treatments and some decongestants. Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own; raise the pattern with your prescriber, who can weigh the trade-offs.

Skin flares are harder to pin to a cause. Infections, physical injury to the skin, and periods of disease activity can all bring more swelling and tightness. What you can control is the injury side: a knock against a door frame or a blister from a badly fitting glove is a bigger event in scleroderma than in ordinary skin. Notice your own patterns. Many people find that logging attacks for a few weeks, with time of day, place and mood, reveals a trigger they had not suspected, such as a cold commute or the air conditioning at work.

Scleroderma hands treatment at home: skin, stiffness and movement

Cold protection keeps blood flowing; skin care keeps the surface intact; movement keeps the joints usable. All three belong in a home routine, and they reinforce each other.

Thickened, tight skin in scleroderma loses its natural oils and cracks easily, especially at the fingertips and over knuckles. Moisturize at least twice a day with a fragrance-free emollient, working it in while the skin is slightly damp after washing so it seals in moisture. Wear cotton gloves over a thick layer at night if cracking is a problem. Keep nails short and filed smooth, since a jagged edge can tear the neighboring finger’s skin. Use gentle soap and warm, not hot, water.

Protect the fingertips physically. Rubber gloves for dishes and cleaning products keep chemicals off vulnerable skin and add warmth. Avoid picking at hangnails or calluses. Treat any small cut the same day: rinse, dry, apply a plain barrier ointment and a dressing.

Stiffness comes from skin tightening over the joints and from changes in the tendons beneath. NIAMS and the NHS both point to regular gentle exercise as part of scleroderma management. A short stretching routine each morning, when the hands are warm after a shower, helps hold the range you have: slowly opening and closing the fist, spreading the fingers wide, pressing palms flat against a table, touching each fingertip to the thumb. A hand therapist can tailor this and may suggest splints or paraffin wax baths, which combine warmth with movement.

None of these replace disease treatment from your rheumatologist. They are the daily maintenance that lets that treatment work on skin that has not been damaged in the meantime.

How to handle a Raynaud's attack the moment it starts

The first minute of an attack sets its length. The instinct is to rub the fingers hard or run them under hot water. Both can hurt skin that is temporarily short of oxygen and cannot judge temperature. Gentler methods work better and are what the NHS and Mayo Clinic describe.

Move somewhere warmer if you can, even a doorway out of the wind. Get the core warm first: zip the coat, pull on a hat, add a scarf. Then tuck the hands under the armpits or against the belly, where skin temperature is highest. Wiggle the fingers and toes to encourage flow. Swinging the arms in wide circles, sometimes called windmilling, uses gravity and momentum to push blood into the hands; some people find it helps. If warm water is available, lukewarm is the target, tested first on the wrist or by someone whose hands are not affected.

Breathe slowly. Because stress tightens the same vessels, a few long exhalations during an attack are not a wellness flourish; they reduce the adrenaline that is keeping the arteries clamped. Mayo Clinic explicitly lists stress management as part of Raynaud’s care.

Expect the red, throbbing phase as flow returns. It is uncomfortable but is the sign you are winning. Once the color has normalized, look at the fingertips before you put gloves back on. A new white or purple dot that does not fade, or a crack you had not noticed, is worth a dressing that day and a note for your next visit.

Toes follow the same rules: get the whole body warm, wriggle, avoid direct heat sources on numb skin, and check the tips afterwards.

Digital ulcers: caring for the fingertip sore that will not heal

A digital ulcer is an open sore, usually at a fingertip or over a knuckle, caused by poor blood supply rather than injury alone. Mayo Clinic lists fingertip sores among the recognized complications of scleroderma, and they are the main reason all the cold protection above matters. Healing depends on oxygen, and the tissue at the ulcer edge has the least of it.

The moment you notice a sore, tell your rheumatology team rather than waiting for a scheduled visit. Early ulcers respond to changes in treatment that later ones do not, and infection can set in quickly. Between contacts, keep the area clean with gentle saline or soapy water, pat dry, apply a plain protective ointment if your team agrees, and cover with a non-stick dressing. Change it daily and inspect the edge. Avoid strong antiseptics or harsh scrubbing, which damage the fragile healing rim.

Protect the ulcer from pressure and cold more zealously than the rest of the hand. A small foam finger sleeve or a padded dressing takes knocks that would reopen the wound. Keep gloves on for any task involving water or cold.

Knowing what infection looks like helps you act fast: spreading redness beyond the sore, warmth, swelling, thick or foul-smelling discharge, increasing pain, or a fever. Any of these deserve a same-day call. So does a fingertip that turns dark, blue or black and stays that way after warming, which can signal critical loss of blood supply.

Ulcers heal slowly in scleroderma, and NIAMS is frank that they can be painful and prone to infection. Patience is required, but passive waiting is not. Your team can intensify vascular treatment, arrange wound care, or check whether calcium deposits under the skin, which scleroderma can produce, are the reason a sore keeps reopening.

Medicines your team may discuss for Raynaud's in scleroderma, and how they work

When warmth and skin care are not enough, or when ulcers appear, rheumatologists commonly turn to medicines that widen blood vessels. This section explains mechanisms so the conversation makes sense; decisions about whether, which and how much belong entirely to your prescribing clinician.

The class most often tried first is the calcium channel blockers. They relax the muscle in the artery wall so the vessel cannot clamp down as hard. The NHS and Mayo Clinic both describe this class as a standard option for Raynaud’s that interferes with daily life. Because the same relaxation happens elsewhere in the body, side effects can include headache, flushing, ankle swelling and a drop in blood pressure. Your team usually judges the effect over weeks rather than days, adjusting according to attacks and tolerance.

Other vasodilator classes exist. Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors keep a natural vessel-relaxing signal active for longer. Topical nitrate preparations applied to the fingers release nitric oxide locally. For severe ulcers or threatened fingers, intravenous prostacyclin analogs mimic a powerful natural vasodilator and are given in hospital settings. Endothelin receptor antagonists block a hormone that narrows vessels and have been used to reduce new ulcers forming in scleroderma. Each has its own side effect profile and monitoring needs.

Two cautions from guideline-level sources are worth repeating. First, these medicines reduce attack frequency and severity; they do not switch Raynaud’s off, and cold protection remains necessary alongside them. Second, some medicines for other conditions can worsen Raynaud’s, so the whole list should be reviewed at visits. Never adjust or stop anything yourself, including over-the-counter decongestants, without asking. Bring your attack log; it is the clearest evidence your team has of whether a change is working.

Who is usually offered procedures for scleroderma hands, and who is asked to wait

Procedures for Raynaud’s and scleroderma hands sit at the far end of the pathway. The large majority of people manage with warmth, skin care and medicines, and specialists are generally cautious about intervention because scleroderma skin heals slowly and any wound carries risk.

Botulinum toxin injections into the palm or fingers aim to quiet the nerves that drive vessel spasm. The evidence comes mostly from small studies without large randomized trials, so this is offered selectively, often when medicines have not controlled severe attacks, and effects wear off over months. Digital sympathectomy is a surgical procedure in which a hand surgeon strips the tiny nerve fibers surrounding the finger arteries so they cannot signal the vessel to constrict; it is usually reserved for ulcers that are not healing or fingers at risk despite full medical treatment. Debridement, the surgical cleaning of dead tissue from an ulcer, and in rare cases removal of a calcium deposit or of a non-viable fingertip, are done to prevent deep infection.

Who is typically asked to wait? People whose attacks are frequent but who have intact skin, people who have not yet had a proper trial of vasodilator medicines, and anyone with active infection at the proposed site. Smokers are often asked to stop before surgery because nicotine undermines wound healing. People with significant heart or lung involvement from scleroderma need a broader risk assessment.

Every procedure has alternatives, including intensifying medicines, formal wound care and hand therapy, and none is a substitute for the daily habits described earlier. If a procedure is raised, ask what problem it is meant to solve, what the realistic goal is, what recovery involves for a hand that heals slowly, and what happens if you decline. The right answer varies by person, and it is a decision for you and your treating team together.

What the cold months usually look like: pacing the season with scleroderma

Winter is not a single event. Most people with scleroderma describe a cycle: attacks increase as temperatures fall, skin dries with indoor heating, small cracks appear, and the effort of protection wears thin by the darkest weeks. Planning for that arc beats reacting to it.

In the weeks before the cold arrives, build stock: gloves in every coat pocket, a pair by the freezer, warmers in the car, spare socks at work. Step up moisturizing before the skin dries rather than after. Ask your team whether the visit schedule should tighten over winter, since medicine adjustments often happen then.

During the coldest stretch, expect more attacks and shorten the window between noticing a problem and acting on it. A crack dressed the day it appears is a nuisance; the same crack left for a week can become an ulcer. Keep the attack log going. If attacks are lasting longer or leaving marks, that is information for your rheumatologist now, not at spring review.

Indoor air matters as much as outdoor cold. Central heating drops humidity, so a humidifier in the bedroom, or simply not overheating rooms, helps skin. Keep the temperature steady rather than blasting heat in the evening and letting it fall overnight.

As the weather eases, attacks usually decline, but do not let the routine collapse. Air-conditioned buildings, cold drinks and swimming pools cause plenty of summer attacks. Use the quieter months for hand therapy, to review footwear and to talk with your team about anything that did not work over winter. The people who get through cold seasons with intact fingertips are rarely the ones with the thickest gloves. They are the ones who never let a small problem age.

What people often get wrong about Raynaud's hand care in scleroderma

Myth: warm gloves are the whole answer. Gloves keep heat in; they do not generate it. If the body’s core is cold, the brain shuts down blood flow to the hands regardless of what covers them. Layer the trunk first.

Myth: hot water rewarms fastest. Hot water on numb, oxygen-starved skin risks burns and can be painful as flow returns. Lukewarm water, body heat and movement are safer and are what the NHS and Mayo Clinic describe.

Myth: toughen the fingers up by exposing them. Repeated attacks do not build tolerance in scleroderma; they add cumulative low-oxygen injury to skin that already heals poorly. Avoidance is protective, not weak.

Myth: a fingertip crack is just dry skin. In scleroderma, a fingertip fissure can be the first stage of a digital ulcer. Dress it and mention it.

Myth: once you are on a vasodilator, cold protection is optional. Medicines reduce attacks; they do not abolish them. Skipping gloves because a prescription exists gives the medicine an unfair test.

Myth: alcohol warms the hands. It causes brief surface flushing while lowering core temperature and impairing judgment about cold exposure. Not a strategy.

Myth: Raynaud’s always leads to scleroderma. Most Raynaud’s is primary and never progresses. The features that raise concern are listed earlier and can be assessed at a routine visit.

Myth: numbness means nothing is wrong. Reduced sensation in scleroderma can hide pressure sores and burns. Visual checks each evening replace what the nerves cannot tell you.

The thread through all of these is the same: scleroderma vessels have little reserve, and small mistakes cost more than they would in ordinary hands. That is not a reason for fear. It is a reason for habits.

Questions to ask your care team about Raynaud's and your hands and feet

Appointments are short and hands are complicated. Writing questions down beforehand helps, and so does bringing photographs of attacks and any sores, since fingers rarely misbehave on cue in a warm clinic.

• How many attacks a day or week would you consider a signal to change my treatment?
• Are any of my current medicines, including ones for other conditions, likely to be worsening my Raynaud’s?
• What exactly should I do on the day I notice a new fingertip crack or sore, and who do I contact?
• Would a nailfold capillaroscopy or repeat antibody testing tell us anything useful at this stage?
• Is a referral to a hand therapist appropriate for stretching, splinting or paraffin treatment?
• What side effects of my vasodilator should I report, and how long do you expect before we judge whether it is working?
• Do I have calcium deposits under the skin that could explain a sore that keeps reopening?
• Should my visit schedule change over the cold months?
• If medicines are not enough, what are the next steps, and what are the realistic goals of each?
• Are there signs in my hands or feet that would mean I should go to urgent care rather than wait for you?

Consider asking who on the team is the right first contact for a wound question, because rheumatologists, specialist nurses and wound care services often share this work. Ask, too, how they prefer to receive photographs. A clear picture of a sore taken on the day it appears can change the plan faster than a description over the phone. Leave the appointment knowing your thresholds: what you handle at home, what you report, and what you never wait on.

When to call your doctor: red-flag signs in scleroderma hands and feet

Most Raynaud’s attacks end on their own and need nothing more than warmth. A few situations should not wait, because in scleroderma the difference between a saved and a lost fingertip is often measured in days.

Contact your rheumatology team the same day if you notice a new open sore on a fingertip, knuckle or toe, however small; a crack that has not started closing after a few days of dressing; or an attack that leaves a finger blotchy, purple or painful for hours after warming. Report new pitting or scarring at the fingertips, and any sore that is more painful than its size suggests.

Seek urgent care, through your team’s emergency line or an emergency department, if a finger or toe turns dark blue, gray or black and stays that way despite gentle warming; if severe pain in a digit persists after an attack has ended; or if an ulcer shows signs of infection such as spreading redness, swelling, heat, pus, a foul smell, or a fever. Sudden coldness and pallor of a whole hand or foot, rather than the usual fingers, needs the same urgency, as it can indicate a blockage in a larger artery.

Do not delay for symptoms elsewhere either. New breathlessness, chest pain, a marked drop in urine output, or a sudden severe headache in someone with scleroderma can signal heart, lung or kidney involvement and are emergencies regardless of what the hands are doing.

Between these extremes, use the thresholds you agreed with your team. If you are unsure whether something counts, that uncertainty is itself a reason to call. Clinicians who care for scleroderma would rather hear about a fingertip that turned out fine than see one a week too late.

Frequently asked questions

What helps scleroderma hands day to day?

Three habits do most of the work: keeping the whole body warm so blood is not diverted from the fingers, moisturizing at least twice daily to stop tight skin cracking, and gentle stretching each morning to hold joint range. Add rubber gloves for wet or cold tasks, prompt dressing of any small cut, and an attack log to share with your rheumatologist. Medicines and hand therapy are layered on top of these, not in place of them.

Does Raynaud's mean you have scleroderma?

No. Most Raynaud’s is primary, with no underlying disease, and never progresses. Scleroderma is far rarer, though nearly everyone with systemic scleroderma does have Raynaud’s, according to NIAMS. Clinicians look for onset after the mid-thirties, attacks in only some fingers, fingertip sores or pitting, puffy or tight skin, and abnormal nailfold vessels or autoantibodies. If none of those apply, the chance that Raynaud’s is the whole story is high.

What helps Raynaud's syndrome in hands during an attack?

Move somewhere warmer, warm the core first with a coat, hat and scarf, then tuck hands into the armpits and wiggle the fingers. Lukewarm water is fine; hot water and hard rubbing are not, because numb skin cannot judge temperature. Slow breathing lowers the adrenaline that keeps vessels clamped. Expect a red, throbbing phase as flow returns. Check the fingertips afterwards for new cracks or dark spots.

What triggers a scleroderma flare-up in the hands?

For Raynaud’s attacks, the main triggers are cold, sudden temperature shifts, emotional stress, nicotine, vibration and, in some people, caffeine. Certain medicines, including some beta blockers, migraine drugs and decongestants, can worsen attacks; discuss them with your prescriber rather than stopping anything yourself. Skin flares, meaning increased swelling or tightness, are driven by disease activity and by physical injury to the skin, which is why avoiding knocks and blisters matters.

What are the best Raynaud's foot care tips for winter?

Choose shoes with a roomy toe box, wear wool or wicking socks rather than cotton, and change socks whenever they get damp. Toe warmers go over the sock, never against bare skin. Wear slippers indoors, because floors run colder than the room. Avoid hot water bottles or electric blankets directly on feet, since scleroderma can dull sensation. Inspect toe tips each evening for cracks or dark patches and report any sore promptly.

How do I know if a fingertip sore is a digital ulcer?

A digital ulcer is an open sore, usually at a fingertip or over a knuckle, that results from poor blood supply and does not close the way an ordinary cut does. In scleroderma, any fingertip crack that persists beyond a few days, is painful out of proportion to its size, or sits on skin that has been repeatedly white or blue should be treated as a possible ulcer: clean, cover with a non-stick dressing, and contact your team the same day.

Is scleroderma hands treatment mainly medicines or lifestyle?

Both, and they depend on each other. Cold protection, skin care and exercise are the foundation, recommended by the NHS and NIAMS for everyone with the condition. When attacks disrupt daily life or ulcers appear, rheumatologists commonly add vasodilator medicines such as calcium channel blockers, which relax artery muscle. Procedures such as nerve injections or digital sympathectomy are reserved for severe cases. All treatment choices rest with your treating team.

Can I use hot water to warm my hands after an attack?

Lukewarm water is safer than hot. During an attack the skin is short of oxygen and often numb, so it cannot judge temperature, and hot water can cause burns or painful reactive flushing on fragile scleroderma skin. Test the water on your wrist or ask someone else to check it. Body heat, movement and a warm room are equally effective and carry no burn risk.

Why does stress make my Raynaud's worse with scleroderma?

Adrenaline released during stress tightens the same small arteries that cold does. In scleroderma, those arteries are already narrowed by scarring, so a modest squeeze can nearly stop flow. This is why a tense conversation in a cool room can trigger white fingers. Mayo Clinic lists stress management among Raynaud’s measures. Slow breathing during an attack is not a substitute for warmth, but it removes one of the two forces clamping the vessel.

How often should I see my rheumatologist about my hands in winter?

There is no single schedule; it depends on how active your Raynaud’s is and whether you have had ulcers before. Many teams tighten visits over cold months because medicine adjustments often happen then. Ask your team what frequency of attacks, or what change in the skin, should prompt an earlier contact, and agree who to call about a new sore. A new ulcer should never wait for a routine appointment.

References

• NHS: Raynaud's
• NHS: Scleroderma
• NIH NIAMS: Raynaud's Phenomenon
• Cleveland Clinic: Raynaud's Phenomenon

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.