Helen Massy, ​​Bachelor of Science, is a freelance medicine and health writer. He has more than ten years of work experience as a physical therapist and respiratory disease clinical expert at the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. 

Leah Ansell, MD, is accredited by the Cosmetic and Medical Dermatology Committee. She is an assistant professor at Columbia University in private practice in New York City.

Taking medication or using silver-containing products may cause the skin to turn blue. If silver accumulates in the body for a long time, it can cause a condition called silver poisoning. Although rare, argyria can cause tissues to turn blue-gray.

After ingestion, silver will accumulate in the skin and other organs and will not dissipate. It usually starts from the gums, but it can also affect the eyes, skin, nails and internal organs, causing permanent changes in skin color. It is especially common in areas of the skin exposed to the sun.

Piotr Rulka / EyeEm / Getty Images 

Colloidal silver is a liquid containing tiny silver particles suspended in a solution. It is sometimes used as a homeopathic or dietary supplement. 

A colloid is a mixture containing small particles of one substance evenly distributed in another substance.

Colloidal silver is usually taken orally, but there are also products containing silver that can be injected, applied to the skin, or sprayed onto the nose.

Silver has been used in medicine for hundreds of years. Due to the antibacterial properties of silver particles, topical products that help wound healing are still used today.

The National Center for Complementary and Comprehensive Health (NCCIH) recommends that silver (topical) used on the skin has some appropriate medical uses. It can be found in some bandages and dressings and is used to treat burns and wounds. Some eye drops that prevent neonatal conjunctivitis also contain silver.

When a small amount of silver is used locally, it is believed that silver will not cause silver poisoning. However, no oral prescription or over-the-counter drugs containing colloidal silver are legal.

Colloidal silver is a commercial product sold as a dietary supplement. Regarded as a popular alternative/homeopathic medicine, it is an oral substance that claims to benefit the immune system, promote healing, and help prevent/treat infections.

The manufacturers of colloidal silver products claim that they can treat flu, pneumonia, cancer, HIV, AIDS and many other health problems. However, NCCIH pointed out that there is no scientific evidence to support the use of oral colloidal silver, and it can cause serious side effects.

In 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that colloidal silver was unsafe or ineffective. It has no physiological functions in the body. Both the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission have sued several companies for making misleading claims about products containing colloidal silver.

Homeopathy and dietary supplements do not require FDA approval, which is why oral colloidal silver therapy is still widely available. 

Researchers at Browns University have shown that a series of complex chemical reactions can lead to silver poisoning. Essentially, when silver is ingested, the silver is broken down in the stomach to form positively charged silver salt ions, which are then absorbed into the blood.

These silver salt ions are easily combined with the sulfur in blood proteins and eventually deposited in the skin. When exposed to the sun, it turns the salt back into silver, making the silver-gray skin appear blue-gray.

The final reaction that converts salt ions back to silver causes the skin to appear blue-gray, similar to photochemical reactions in black and white photography.

How much silver is needed to cause silver poisoning is still unknown, as is the duration of exposure. Studies have reported exposure times ranging from eight months to five years. Once silver poisoning occurs, the color change of the skin is irreversible.

Argyria itself is not dangerous, but it is not reversible. People with psoriasis may experience depression, anxiety, or social withdrawal from being aware of changes in their skin color.

In addition to silver poisoning, colloidal silver may also cause other complications, including:

Animal studies have identified embryonic changes associated with the use of colloidal silver. Nevertheless, these studies have not been carried out in humans. It has not been proven that colloidal silver is safe for developing babies. Therefore, it is not recommended to use during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Colloidal silver has not been proven to be safe or effective and should not be used as a substitute for traditional medicine. If you decide to take colloidal silver, be sure to tell your healthcare provider. They can monitor your care and advise whether it will interact with other medications you are taking.

Keep in mind that the FDA and NCCIH report that colloidal silver has no known benefits and may cause serious side effects.

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National Supplementary and Comprehensive Health Center. Colloidal silver. Updated in April 2017.

Lencastre A, Lobo M, Joao A. Argyria-case report. Bra skin disease. 2013;88(3):413-416. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20131864

Gianino E, Miller C, Gilmore J. Smart wound dressing for diabetic chronic wounds. Bioengineering (Basel). 2018;5(3):51. doi:10.3390/bioengineering5030051

US Food and Drug Administration. CFR-Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations: Sec. 310.548 Drugs containing colloidal silver components or silver salts, over-the-counter drugs (OTC) used to treat and/or prevent diseases. Updated on April 1, 2019.

Cupp MJ, Tracy TS. Colloidal silver. In: dietary supplements. Forensic Science and Medicine. Humana Press, Tortowa, New Jersey. Year 2003.

Liu J, Wang Z, Liu F, Kane A, Hurt R. The chemical transformation of nano-silver in a biological environment. ACS nano. 2012;6(11):9887-9899. doi:10.1021/nn303449n

Amber K, Winslow C, Styperek A, Schwartz P, Shiman M, Elgart G. Blue skins. International Journal of Dermatology. 2014;53(3):275-276. doi:10.1111/ijd.12344

Jung I, Joo E, Suh B, etc. One case of systemic silver poisoning showed muscle weakness. Ann occupies environmental medicine. 2017; 29(1). doi:10.1186/s40557-017-0201-0

Melnik EA, Buzulukov YP, Deming VF, etc. The transfer of silver nanoparticles through the placenta and breast milk in rats in vivo experiments. Journal of Nature. 2013;5(3):107-115.

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