To avoid getting a brain freeze or an ice cream headache, avoid getting the frozen dessert to touch the roof of your mouth.

Typically the headache appears in about 10 seconds and lasts about 20 seconds although some people experience much longer lapses of pain, with the pain seeming to relate to the same side of the head as the cold substance was applied to the palate, or to both sides of the head in the case of swallowing.