Local argyria shows in limited regions of the body, such as patches of skin, parts of the mucous membrane, or the conjunctiva.

[4][5][7][8] The reference dose, published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1991, which represents the estimated daily exposure that is unlikely to incur an appreciable risk of deleterious effects during a lifetime, is 5 μg/(kg·d).

[9][10] Argyria occurs in people who ingest or inhale silver in large quantities over a long period (several months to many years).

A prominent case involving the ingestion of colloidal silver was that of American Stan Jones, a Libertarian candidate for the United States Senate in 2002 and 2006.

[12][13] The peculiar coloration of his skin was featured prominently in media coverage of his unsuccessful campaign, though his supporters contended that the best-known photo was "doctored".

His purposeful consumption of colloidal silver was a self-prescribed measure undertaken in response to fears that the Y2K problem would make antibiotics unavailable, an event that did not occur.

[15] In 2007, press reports described Paul Karason, an American man whose skin gradually turned blue after he took a homemade silver chloride colloid and used a silver salve on his face in an attempt to treat problems with his sinuses, dermatitis, acid reflux and other issues.

[16][17] At the time of the reports, Karason maintained his belief in silver's effectiveness and continued to take it, albeit in smaller doses.

As a child, Jacobs was treated for allergies with nose drops that contained colloidal silver and developed argyria as a result.