Home/Sitemap  ·    Search   ·   you are here: Forum =>letter 11826 What's that black line on my face?   Why does precious metals such as gold, when rubbed across a face with makeup powder, leave a black line? Nancy Hedger - Georgia   I don't understand the question, Nancy. Sorry. Are you saying that if a woman is wearing makeup on her face and she accidentally rubs her ring against her face, it will leave black scratch marks on her face? I personally haven't seen it. Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey ++++++ WOW... ok so I was talking to my girlfriend about 10 minutes ago and she was saying that she thought that she had a low iron level... she went on to say that she knew of a simple test to determine if she had low iron or not. I asked her what it was... she said that she needed a gold ring... she said that if she took a gold ring and rubbed it across her forehead it would leave a black mark if she had low iron... I actually began laughing at her saying that her theory was stupid... she got the ring and did it... and it magically left this black streak across her forehead... I really was totally stunned... but since I am a hard headed jerk I still could not take her word for it that "some how" the gold would react with her skin if she had low iron... lol like an idiot I began experimenting on my girlfriend trying to figure out why this was happening on her and not on me.. I even took the time to look it up on line.. and that is how I came across this thread... I then washed her face with an alcohol Acetone [link is to product info at Rockler] mixture and cleaned it. I tried to rub the ring across her face again and no mark!!... I then had her put some makeup on her face again after I cleaned it and tried running the ring across her face with the makeup and PRESTO black line... not really sure why the gold is reacting with the makeup.. but it definitely does NOT work with other metals like tin or aluminum... hope this helps out a little... I also had never heard of this ever until I saw it with my own eyes. William Miner - Woburn, Massachusetts ++++++ My boyfriend told me the same thing, that I could tell if I had low iron this was, and I did it on my forehead and it worked, and yes I had make up on. But, when I wear my 14K and 10k gold rings they leave green-black marks on my fingers and I could make a black-green mark also on my hand which did not have any makeup traces on it.. Jackie Bergeron - North Attleboro, Massachusetts ++++++ I am online looking for information about this. I can not wear any gold anymore. My ear lobes now get a nasty grey ashy cover, my fingers look like I am wearing a fake 5 dollar ring. At first I thought it was low grade gold, the last earrings I purchased were top of the line. They turned my lopes also. Silver does not do this to me. I do not have this problem all the time..this is why I think the people believe it goes back to low iron,, When the gold has this effect on my body, I have a strong metallic taste in my mouth, brain fog, extreme tiredness, sleeplessness and fatigue. I really have to find out what this is a reaction to. I use to think it was from not drinking enough water, but that is not it. Note: the cleaner you washed your girlfriends face with shield the gold reaction, I can wear no make up and still have this happen, but not right after a washing. I do not wear makeup on my lopes, and can wash my hands 10 times a day, never reapply makeup and the marks come back to my fingers. I can also create these marks on my forearms and stomach. If anyone does figure this out, please let me know. Donna Marlow - Califrona, Kentucky ++++++ Hi just wanted to find out why my ring fingers are turning black after years of wearing my rings. We bought them from Rogers. I was told that it could be that my body was giving off to much acid is this true. what can I do to keep this from happening. Dion Harmon consumer - Norwood, Ohio ++++++ Dear Donna Marlow It sounds like you do have low iron. Taylor Ingle - Jonesboro, Arkansas October 11, 2009 This is 100% true. I suffer from Iron deficiencies a lot, and weave back and forth between low iron and full on anemia. I tend to get used to the feelings of fatigue that come from it, until it gets so bad it starts affecting my life (like falling asleep in the middle of the day or getting light headed, etc.). But the gold ring test never fails. The dark line always coincides with the times I'm exhibiting symptoms of the very low iron/anemia. The worse my symptoms the darker the line. My fiancee starts to notice my symptoms before I do, and says baby check your ring face.... and sure enough black line is there. It's never failed. When I'm feeling fully energized and my iron is normal no black mark to be found. I always use my engagement ring which is 14k gold so I know it's not a junk ring. It won't work with any low quality gold plated rings or silver rings, only solid gold. It leaves the mark on my face, my neck, my shoulders. Not so much on my hands thank goodness. The line can be easily wiped off again. I don't have to be wearing makeup either, though it won't work on a freshly washed face. It must have something to do with the oils from your pores, which are gone when you just washed your face. Tietania Lee - Abington, Pennsylvania January 11, 2010 Yes this happens to me also, in fact I have heard about it from multiple sources in the past. The first who introduced it to me was my home econ. teacher who used her ring to make an x on my cheek.I never really believed it, and in fact found this thread because i was looking for answers as to whether this is true or not. I have a 10k ring and it makes black marks on my cheek, forehead, but no where else. I have never tried it with out make up on, so maybe it could be a reaction to my mineral make-up... I have also heard that this works best on women (in general), specifically young women and menopausal women due to the changes in their bodies, iron deficiency also shows these trends so it does connect on that note. I have never been tested in a clinic for iron deficiency so I'm thinking i should, however i am still fishing for answers on this.... Danielle DeBarberac - Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada June 16, 2010 I am speaking from personal experience that this has nothing to do with makeup. I too have the same problem with gold turning my skin green. It is any kind of pure gold and any part of my body I can rub the gold on and it will leave a green mark, however not all the time only when my Iron is low. so yes there is a correlation to an iron being low and gold turning skin green Jennifer Freeman - Berwick, Pennsylvania