What Metal Turns Skin Green
Any metal jewelry that is made of copper or contains copper metal in significant portion like more than 25% is going to turn skin green. This includes copper, brass and bronze jewelry. Apart, sterling silver and low purity gold like 9k or 10k can also turn skin green.
In this article we’ll let you know what metal turns skin green, why does jewelry turn skin green and how can you avoid it.
Why Does Metal Turn Skin Green
Copper is also called a live metal. It means that it can actively react with atmospheric gases and pollutants to turn its color green. That’s why whenever copper is exposed to atmospheric gases i.e. when you go outside wearing copper jewelry, it becomes greens slowly. This process is known as tarnishing and can take time. But it can be fastened by a number of factors. These include:
- Sweat
- Skin lotions or cosmetics
- Humidity
- Perfumes
So, if you wear copper or copper based jewelry and use a lot of cosmetics where jewelry can come in contact, then it can turn skin green. People who get more sweat than others have more chances of green skin than ones who don’t get that much sweat. High humidity also increases the chances of green skin. All of these factors get combined and can fasten the process.
Does alloy turn your skin green
Yes, any alloy that has copper in it can turn skin green. It is important to avoid any jewelry that has copper in it. Apart, nickel is also non-hypoallergenic.
Does Gold Plated Turn Skin Green
Yes, gold plated can turn skin green as well. Gold plated jewelry has a gold layer over a base metal. If base metal is copper or sterling silver, it can turn skin green. Otherwise not.
Apart from this, low purity gold i.e. 9k or 10k can also turn skin green. So, if you have a sensitive skin, avoid using low purity gold.
Does stainless steel turn skin green
Stainless steel never turns skin green. It is one of the safest metals for people with sensitive skin.
Does Gold plated stainless steel turn skin green
No, gold plate stainless steel does not turn skin green. Stainless steel is very skin friendly and hypoallergenic. It never reacts with the skin.
How Often Does Jewelry Turn Skin Green
There is no frequency limit for jewelry to turn skin green. It all depends on sensitivity of a person’s skin. If you have a sensitive skin with a history of skin turning green, better is to avoid the mentioned metals. It may happen almost every time you wear this type of jewelry.
However, there are many people who might never get any allergy or skin coloration. It all depends on a person’s sensitivity against these metals.
Does Bronze jewelry turn your skin green
Yes, bronze jewelry turn your skin green. It has copper which can react with skin to turn it green. If you have sensitive skin, it is better to avoid bronze jewelry.
Does Sterling silver turn skin green
Yes, but only sterling silver will do it. 925 sterling silver is notoriously known to turn black on tarnishing. So, it is more likely to get green marks from copper and black marks from sterling silver based jewelry.
Does Gold Filled jewelry turn green
Gold filled jewelry turn green if it has a coating of low purity gold like 9 karat or 10 karat. For coating of 14 karat or above, it does not tarnish.
How to Stop brass from turning skin green
You can stop brass from turning skin green by sealing it with water repellents or wax. This is the only way by which copper from brass will not react with chemicals or your skin.
What if Your Skin Turn Green or Black?
If your skin turn green or black by wearing jewelry, there is nothing to worry about. This color is only temporarily and can be washed away by using any soap. However, getting this color can be problematic in public. So, a person wearing copper jewelry must be aware of this.
Does Stainless Steel Turn Skin Green
No, stainless steel does not turn skin green. It has a thick chromium layer which does not allow any reactions between the metal and skin. This makes it completely hypoallergenic and save to be worn by people with sensitive skin given it is nickel-free.
It is important to first check with your jewelers whether they are selling nickel free stainless steel jewelry or not.
How to Know If you have a Sensitive Skin?
There is no definitive test for knowing whether your skin will react against a particular metal or not. But there are some general ways to find it out.
Let’s say you want to test your skin for copper. Take a piece of copper or that particular copper jewelry item that you are going to wear. Strap it with your arm wrist with the help of a tape and wait for 2 to 3 hours. If it develops any allergic or coloration signs, then you are most likely to have sensitive skin against copper. If it does not, you can wear it freely.
This can be done in any metal’s case.
How to Avoid Jewelry Turning Skin Green?
There are a number of ways by which you can avoid jewelry turning skin green.
- Avoid jewelry made out of copper or containing copper if you get a lot of sweat. Or just don’t wear it on a hot day where you can get a lot of sweat.
- Wear copper jewelry with caution if you live areas with high humidity i.e. coastal areas like Florida.
- Avoid sterling silver jewelry as well if you have a history of high sensitive skin.
- Avoid using cosmetic items like lotions or perfumes while wearing jewelry. It is recommended to wear jewelry after 5 to 10 minutes of applying.
- Sweat can also be a factor which can fasten the process of skin turning green. Avoid using copper or silver based jewelry in a hot weather.
- Avoid contact with water. Remove any jewelry before washing hands, showering etc.
How to Treat Green Neck from Chain
Whether you get green color from chain, ring or bracelet. The process of getting rid of it is the same. Best way is to just wash it with a soap. This will remove any coloration. Note that this coloration is not harmful.
However, in order to avoid this coloration is to follow the instructions mentioned above.
What Should You Do?
First step is to know whether you skin is sensitive towards copper/sterling silver or not. If it is, then the best way is to avoid these metals and any other metals that contain these. If you don’t have sensitivity, then follow the things to avoid for not getting green or black skin. Common ones are mentioned above.
FAQ’s about Jewelry Turning Skin Green
Here are some common FAQ’s.
What Metals Turn Skin Green?
Any jewelry made of copper, copper based metals or even low purity gold can turn your skin green. Other than that, sterling silver jewelry can turn skin black as well.
Does Alloy Turn Green?
Alloys can also turn skin green if they are made of copper or contain high percentage of copper as in brass or bronze jewelry.
Can Solid Gold Turn Green?
Yes, solid gold can also turn green if it is made of low purity gold like 9k or 10k. But it is not a thing that happens very often.
Conclusion
Getting coloration from jewelry can be a big problem. People can get either green or black color from jewelry. This is mainly due to copper or alloys which contain high amounts of copper including copper itself, brass, bronze, sterling silver and even low purity gold alloys like 9k or 10k. So, it is better to first find out whether you are one who is sensitive towards these metals or not. If you are, then best way to just avoid these. If you are not, then just take precautions and you will be good to go.