Silver Nitrate Stains?

For those who work with it (and I don't know if this has been covered or not), but I *believe* I have a remedy for the silver nitrate stain from working with emulsion and collodion.

Iodide Tincture, available at most WalMarts most of the time in the first aid section for under $5.

Just apply it to where the nitrate has made contact with your skin and it instantly turns a creamy yellow color and washes off your skin. I've tested this on myself as well as my niece (I'm that mean uncle who rubbed nitrate solution on her face and had her stand outside for a minute hehehe). My stain basically disappeared immediately as well as the stains on her face.

This is not advised for those of you who enjoy the stain as a conversation starter


If anyone has a debate to tag along with this, please, let's debate! I love learning new things!

Are you talking about Red Iodide, or the Colorless Iodide salt solution?
If my hand gets spoted, I just let it wear off.

I'm curious.....Where on her face did you put the silver nitrate?

I've used the (red) drugstore Iodide Tincture for spot bleaching, seems reasonable that it might work for silver nitrate stains.

It's clear and you can purchase it in the pharmacy section at WalMart. This is the link for it since there are a billion iodides out there lol http://www.walmart.com/ip/Humco-Iodide-Tincture-Decolorized-Antiseptic-2-fl-oz/17325269. I put it on her cheeks and chin. I will test this out more tomorrow since I will have the free time and post photos as well. But I know for sure the stain on my hand disappeared afterwards (but I didn't let it get brown... it just "turned" at the time). Rule out the possibilities

I've heard that, in the last, nurses would put a drop of a very dilute AgNO3 solution in newborn's eyes as an antiseptic. Truth or myth?

Yes, decades back, doctors would put a VERY dilute solution of silver nitrate in babies eyes to counter any STD's the mother might have had.

Brickbird said:

Yes, decades back, doctors would put a VERY dilute solution of silver nitrate in babies eyes to counter any STD's the mother might have had.

Click to expand...

And some of those babies became photographers!