What does fact checked mean?
At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
Colloidal Silver Hair Growth
According to MayoClinic.com, colloidal silver is composed of tiny silver particles suspended in liquid 2. The silver is identical to the metal that is used to make jewelry, dental fillings and silverware. Some makers of colloidal silver products claim that colloidal silver can effectively treat more than 600 diseases and conditions, including dandruff and dermatitis 2. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned that those claims are bogus.
Claims
The website Diagnose-Me states that colloidal silver "is known to be effective against more than 650 illness-causing microorganisms." It is claimed to be effective for everything from acne and arthritis to hepatitis and herpes, to trench foot and tuberculosis 12. ')23.
Hair Loss
Medical Reasons for Eyebrow Loss
Learn More
Hair loss, including male pattern baldness, is often due to heredity. According to MayoClinic.com, other causes of hair loss include inflammation damage to the follicles, an autoimmune disease with no known cause, a shock to your system from physical or emotional trauma, medications, poor nutrition and disease.cause:
- According to MayoClinic.com
- other causes of hair loss include inflammation damage to the follicles
- an autoimmune disease with no known cause
- a shock to your system from physical or emotional trauma
- medications
- poor nutrition
- disease
Argyria
Taking colloidal silver over a period of time can result in argyria, a condition in which the silver is deposited in your eyes, skin and internal organs, turning your skin blue-gray 2. Argyria was more common before antibiotics were available, when silver was used in nose drops. Although colloidal silver won't regrow hair, it could give you a distinctively blue-gray color on your scalp 2.
Government Action
Does Centrum Silver Contain Iron?
Learn More
The U.S. FDA and the Australian government have taken numerous actions against the manufacturers of colloidal silver products, requiring a number of them to stop making false claims for their products 2. In 2002, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration determined that colloidal silver products could not be marketed without proof that they are safe and effective 123. The agency based its findings on the lack of evidence to support the therapeutic claims made for colloidal silver products and the risk of silver toxicity to consumers 23.
Considerations
As Mayo Clinic internist Brent Bauer states, "Colloidal silver isn't considered safe or effective for any of the health claims manufacturers make." Furthermore, excessive usage of colloidal silver not only can turn your skin blue-gray, it can cause:
Related Articles
References
- Mayo Clinic: Colloidal silver: Is It Safe or Effective?
- Diagnose-Me: Colloidal Silver
- Quackwatch: Colloidal Silver: Risk Without Benefit
- Mayo Clinic: Hair Loss
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Colloidal silver. Updated January 17, 2019.
- Dakal TC, Kumar A, Majumdar RS, Yadav V. Mechanistic basis of antimicrobial actions of silver nanoparticles. Front Microbiol. 2016;7:1831. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2016.01831
- Lansdown AB. A pharmacological and toxicological profile of silver as an antimicrobial agent in medical devices. Adv Pharmacol Sci. 2010;2010:910686. doi:10.1155/2010/910686
- Gianino E, Miller C, Gilmore J. Smart wound dressings for diabetic chronic wounds. Bioengineering (Basel). 2018;5(3). doi:10.3390/bioengineering5030051
- Oryan A, Alemzadeh E, Tashkhourian J, Nami ana SF. Topical delivery of chitosan-capped silver nanoparticles speeds up healing in burn wounds: A preclinical study. Carbohydr Polym. 2018;200:82-92. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.07.077
- Lencastre A, Lobo M, João A. Argyria -- case report. An Bras Dermatol. 2013;88(3):413-6. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20131864
- NIH National Toxicology Program. Testing status of silver acetate M000073. Updated March 3, 2020.
- Mirsattari SM, Hammond RR, Sharpe MD, Leung FY, Young GB. Myoclonic status epilepticus following repeated oral ingestion of colloidal silver. Neurology. 2004;62(8):1408-10. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000120671.73335.ec
Writer Bio
Jim Thomas has been a freelance writer since 1978. He wrote a book about professional golfers and has written magazine articles about sports, politics, legal issues, travel and business for national and Northwest publications. He received a Juris Doctor from Duke Law School and a Bachelor of Science in political science from Whitman College.