8 Reasons Why Ring Turns Your Finger Green. Life Hacks To Prevent It!
All Rings Paradise rings are made from high quality metals. It is very uncommon to experience a skin discoloration from wearing a ring. Although, sometimes it happens. This article is to help you to understand the common causes of skin discoloration and measures to take to prevent it. There are eight factors why your skin turns green, black, or purple! It depends on the metal content of your ring. Even 14K gold may cause a skin discoloration. Another factors are a chemical environment or chemical reaction between acids in your skin, your body's immune response, a reaction between another substance, sweating or exercising on a daily basis, stress, pregnancy, chlorine and cosmetics. The discoloration on the skin is not harmful. It wears away a few days after you stop wearing the jewelry.
1. The metal content of the ring
Rings made of Gold, Silver, Tungsten, Nickel or Cobalt may cause a discoloration on your skin. If that happens to you you should not feel worried that your ring is harmful to your skin or made of low quality material. In fact, the discoloration is your finger’s chemical reaction to the metal used in your ring’s alloy mixture.
14K White Gold Rings
The rings that tend to discolor fingers the most are 14k white gold rings. It happens because the rhodium plating wears off. You can notice the yellow color of the gold underneath. Rhodium is metal that is used to plate white gold rings so they appear white. Rhodium does not react with other elements. Once the rhodium wears away, the other metals that are alloyed with the gold get exposed to chemicals that you come in contact with on a daily basis. Such chemicals are not harmful to us. However, they may not react well with the metals used to alloy the gold, which results in the green or black ring discoloration on your finger.
Sterling Silver Rings
Silver rings may turn your finger green or black. The reason is that silver reacts with acids and air to tarnish to a black color. Acids cause the silver to oxidize, which produces tarnish. The tarnish can leave a dark ring on your finger. Sterling silver contains a small percentage of copper, that may cause a green discoloration.
Jewelry that are made using copper or a copper alloy reacts with oxygen to form copper oxide, or verdigris. That causes a green discoloration on your skin.
Tungsten Rings
Tungsten Rings may contain a small percentage of cobalt or nickel.
If you are sensitive to cobalt or nickel, you may see skin discoloration from wearing a ring containing those materials. The discoloration from tungsten rings may also occur from the following factors below.
2. A chemical environment or chemical reaction between acids in your skin
There are several metals that oxidize or react with your skin to produce a discoloration. Tungsten rings are made of tungsten metal and may also contain some percentage of cobalt or nickel . Another cause of discoloration may be a reaction to the metal of the jewelry. Some people are sensitive to any of a number of metals used in ring, especially copper and nickel.
3. Your body’s immune response to the jewelry
While some chemicals we can avoid, others we cannot. One of the main sources of those chemicals is from the perspiration of our own skin. The alloy metals found in white gold and sterling silver can easily react with your skin’s sweat and acids. Alloys, such as nickel and copper, can cause allergic reactions, which can discolor your skin
4. A reaction between another substance as a lotion and the metal of the ring
It is suggested to avoid a constant exposure to water, chemicals, lotions, tan sprays, antibacterial soaps, wipes, hairsprays. Removal of your rings before bathing or swimming, especially in saltwater or water containing a chlorine will save your jewelry from a damage. Applying lotions to your hand while wearing a ring increases the chance that the ring, chemical and your skin will react.
5. Stress and Excessive Sweating
People who sweat more or exercise on daily basis are most likely to face this problem. In some cases, a stress also cause perspiration.
These skin chemicals contain sodium chloride, salt, And other acidic properties such as lactic acid. When these skin secretions dissolve with the ring chemicals, the gold ring turns finger green.
With each chemical used in the ring, you will experience different colors. If the alloy material is copper, you will have green or blue color on your skin. Green discoloration would result if the ring is made of nickel.
The color formation around the finger is not harmful and can be washed away. Some research suggests that gold jewelry turns skin green because of iron deficiency or anemia in the user’s body. It is not a proved theory but it may be related to skin discoloration. PH level in your body can get effected by the iron levels in your blood. If the PH level turns more acidic, it may cause a chemical reaction with the metals in the ring like copper and nickel.
6. Pregnancy
The same goes for pregnancy, because the only reason why the rings are turning your skin green, it’s because of the chemical reaction.If something like this happens to you, don’t get panic. It is normal and not harmful in any way. As the ring is removed, the green color would also wear off with in sometime
7. Chlorine
One of the most common chemicals we come into contact with on a daily basis is chlorine. It is in pools, hot tubs, or top water. Chlorine is the most harmful chemical to your ring. It can damage any type of material such as tungsten, gold or silver.
8. Cosmetics and Lotions
You may come in contact with chemicals from cosmetics or lotions on a daily basis. Many of cosmetics contain minerals. They are extremely hard and may affect your ring at a microscopic level. This is called “metallic abrasion”.When metallic abrasion occurs, tiny metallic particles are worn off onto your skin. This may form a black dust on your finger. To avoid this, remove your jewelry before applying lotions or makeup.
Life Hacks That Will Prevent and Fix the Discoloration
1. Take care of your ring and clean it on a weekly basis. Use polishing cloth to wipe silver jewelry. This will lessen the chances of skin oxidization.
2. The best you can do is to remove your tungsten ring before washing, bathing, exposing to chemicals, chlorine, antibacterial soaps, hairsprays, tan sprays, lotions, wipes. Remove your ring before going to the pool, sweating or exercising.
3. Some people find it hard to remove a ring each time. They may apply a polymer coating or clear nail polish on it and let it dry before putting it on. It is important to reapply the coating from time to time since it will wear away. Although this life hack will refrain the direct contact of skin with the metal we do not recommend doing it.
4. You may try to remove the green coloring by rubbing the tungsten ring with lemons. This will allow the copper carbonate to be separated. Vinegar and salt may help to clean the ring. After using it, wash your ring with water and soap, dry it with a cloth.
