Why do your hands freeze faster than your face in the cold?
A very burning question, literally. The main reason is the regulation of blood supply to different organs in order to preserve the most vital ones. The brain decides that hands are less important for survival, while it considers itself, of course, much more important, so the blood supply to the face increases at the expense of reduced blood flow to the hands.
There are also other reasons:
- There are more capillaries in the face.
- The face usually has a thin layer of fat, while the hands have almost none. At the same time, the skin on the face is thinner than on the hands.
- And hands have more nerve endings and thermal receptors, so they are simply better at sensing cold.
The vital organs the brain tries to protect first include the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. The lower‑priority ones include the hands, feet, skin, and the genitourinary system. The main role in this regulation is played by our chief “thermostat” — the hypothalamus. It sits deep in the brain, weighs only 3–5 grams, and is about the size of a pea.