JOURNAL ARTICLE

Tarnish tattoos: localized cutaneous argyria from sterling silver in fresh piercings. A case series.

  • Published In: Clinical & Experimental Dermatology, 2025, v. 50, n. 3. P. 639 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Madan, Vishal 3 of 3

Abstract

This article focuses on tarnish tattoo, a form of localized cutaneous argyria caused by silver deposition in the skin following exposure to sterling silver jewelry in fresh piercings. It presents four cases of women who developed blue–grey discoloration at piercing sites after wearing silver studs or rings immediately post-piercing, with minimal improvement after treatment using nanosecond Q-switched lasers. Tarnish tattoos result from the ionization of silver in the presence of body fluids and hydrogen sulfide, leading to silver particles becoming trapped in healing tissue fibrosis. The report suggests that picosecond Q-switched lasers may offer better treatment outcomes and recommends avoiding sterling silver jewelry in fresh piercings, favoring materials like surgical steel, titanium, or gold instead.

Additional Information

  • Source:Clinical & Experimental Dermatology. 2025/03, Vol. 50, Issue 3, p639
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Arts and Entertainment
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0307-6938
  • DOI:10.1093/ced/llae477
  • Accession Number:184297130
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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