It's Not Easy Being Blue

Users of colloidal silver, like Paul Karason, say their skin has changed color.

For 40 years, Paul Karason was a fair skin son of the American Northwest, freckles and reddish-blond hair. Like most people who grow older, Paul’s hair turned white. But how does he explain this?

What was that “Aha” moment when you think, “You know, my skin’s looking funny.”

A friend of mine that I hadn’t seen in another few months came by to see me and he said what have you got on your face? I don’t have anything on my face. And he was very fair-skinned as I used to be and that's when it hit me…

So you are telling me, it was so gradual you didn’t notice it

That’s exactly right

Paul, do you own a mirror?

Ha ha ha …

Paul’s blue skin is the result of a rare medical syndrome known as argyria, or silver poisoning. Paul began using silver as a form of alternative medicine, not knowing what could happen to his skin. It started a decade ago when he saw a magazine ad promising health and rejuvenation. In those first months, Paul noticed no change in his skin color. But he says there were changes in his health.

The acid reflux problem I have been having went away completely. I had arthritis in my shoulder so bad I couldn’t pull a T-shirt off and the next thing I knew, they, they were just gone.

And you are convinced that it was the silver that did it.

Not the slightest doubt in my mind.

But there is plenty of doubt among mainstream doctors. This claims they say have no bases in science. Just as the head of dermatology at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, Doctor Vinson Deleo.

The FDA has looked at it a long time ago and decided that there is no medical reason for taking colloidal silver.

So what recommendation would you give to somebody who’s like well, you know, maybe I will try it.

How about don’t use it.

But Paul believed he found a miracle cure and decided it even could help with his skin information.

So I started putting the stuff on my face.

How did you apply it to your face?

Just cotton ball, swap it.

Swapped it.

Paul believes that he’ll be fine if he hadn’t put the silver directly on his face. But medical experts believe the damage was already done.

Paul turned blue because he ingested and applied elemental silver. It got into his blood stream and then was deposited in his skin as brown particles and when you see those particles through the skin they appear to be grey or blue grey.

Doctors suspect that it is not just his skin that’s changed color; his internal organs are mostly likely also blue.

What was your first reaction when you looked in the mirror and saw yourself and realized, woops…

I kind of hoped it would, it would fade off, but…

But it didn’t. Argyria is permanent