If you love putting on jewelry, chances are you have noticed time and again that some of your fashion accessories leave your skin looking green. No, they are not turning you into a Martian.
Basically, there are two components to ending up with green skin. One of them is the material the jewelry is made of. Most of the time, the wearing of jewelry pieces carrying cheap price tags is the one that’s commonly associated with the phenomenon — a testament that the material is the likely culprit.
Another component to being spotted with green skin is the chemical composition of your skin. Especially when the weather is hot, your risk of having green skin is considerably increased because your skin’s chemical composition tends to be at its strongest, thereby triggering that weird discoloration of the skin.
Copper is the Culprit
Experts say that jewelry pieces out of copper are notorious for leaving your skin green. When the said metal comes into contact with your skin, especially if your skin is highly acidic or sweaty, copper tends to become corroded.
Such causes the production of green-colored salts, which can be absorbed by the skin. As a result, the striking color of the salts is assimilated by your skin. As a proof, if you look at the underside of a copper jewelry piece that you have worn, it appears green. Check out where you have worn the item — it’s very much likely to be green, too!
Other Metals are Responsible, Too
Don’t just put the blame on jewelry pieces that are out of copper. That’s because others made from various types of metals can also leave your skin looking green after wearing them for some time.
Silver fashion accessories are known to tarnish when it is exposed to air as well as when it comes into contact with the acids on your skin. This tarnishing can leave your skin discolored, most of the time causing it to appear green. Jewelry pieces that are gold can sometimes cause the greening of your skin as well. It’s for the fact that gold is commonly mixed with other metals, including copper, to harden it.
Not an Allergic Reaction
Refrain from assuming that having green skin after wearing certain jewelry pieces — most of the time cheap ones — is some sort of an allergy. Have you noticed that having green skin does not come with a bunch of other signs and symptoms such as redness, itchiness and inflammation? Well, it’s because of the fact that the green coloration of your skin after wearing certain types of jewelry is not an allergic reaction.
An allergic reaction to jewelry would be something so uncomfortable that you would never want to put on the same fashion accessories ever again!
How to Keep Having Green Skin at Bay
Fortunately, you don’t have to steer clear of your favorite jewelry pieces that tend to make your skin appear green. There are a few tips and tricks on how you can minimize the issue. They include:
- Clean your fashion accessories often. At least once a week, have your prized possessions cleaned with a polishing cloth to keep at bay ending up with green skin.
- Stay cool and dry. Sweating can set off the discoloration of your skin, so it’s a good idea to stay away from the sun or refrain from engaging in physical activities that can make you sweaty.
- Have the insides of your jewelry pieces coated. To ward off chemical reaction between your skin and the metal, consider giving the inside surfaces of your fashion accessories a coat of lacquer or clear nail polish.
- Switch to stainless steel fashion accessories. If all of the preventive measures above fail, it’s a good idea for you to accessorize with jewelry pieces out of stainless steel.
