The world’s most famous blue man, Paul Karason, also dubbed Papa Smurf, was born as a fair-skinned, freckled boy with ginger hair. In the 2000s, he became an internet sensation and made many TV appearances, openly talking about his condition. Let’s find out together why Karason turned blue and how he became a cautionary tale.
Paul Karason had a skin condition that made his skin flake, as well as acid reflux and arthritis. Doing his own research in order to improve these ailments, he found out about a solution of silver in water, also known as colloidal silver.
Colloidal silver was widely used as an antibiotic back before penicillin was invented in the 1930s. It was banned in 1999 in over-the-counter medications after scientists found that it can severely damage internal organs.
The late Paul Karason and his wife, Joanne
Karason drank what he believed was a miracle cure for over 10 years. Moreover, he even began to apply a silver preparation directly to his skin; he claimed his acid reflux and arthritis just went away. “I had arthritis in my shoulders so bad I couldn’t pull a T-shirt off. And the next thing I knew, it was just gone,” he shared.
Due to the silver accumulation in his skin, he started to turn blue and suffered from a permanent and rare condition called argyria. Only when Karason met an old friend who asked him, “What have you done to yourself?” did he begin to realize he’d become blue.
Karason claimed his blue skin had many advantages — he never got sunburns or had to wear sunglasses. There were some side effects he did not appreciate, however, such as folks “being less than polite” to him. Moreover, Karason confessed he couldn’t get a job because of employers’ resistance to hiring “people that are blue or that are noticeably different.”
Sadly, Paul Karason passed away in 2013 when he was 62 years old due to heart complications.
Papa Smurf’s story serves as a valuable lesson about the importance of being careful when it comes to at-home remedies. While it’s natural to want to find easy solutions to health problems, it’s important to be aware that such remedies can sometimes pose serious risks. It’s always better to consult a doctor and follow their advice for a safe and effective treatment.
Preview photo credit Inside Edition / YouTube
20 Times a Haircut Has Changed Someone Beyond Recognition
Change can be a beautiful thing — especially when it comes to your hair. It’s completely captivating to see a hairdressers artistry take someone’s hair from outdated to cool. They prove how something as simple as a haircut can change someone’s appearance from caring to daring, or from slouchy to chic.
Check out the following 20 hair transformations found by the Bright Side team and who knows… maybe they inspire you to also get a new ’do yourself!
1. “My wife told me ’you’ve had your fun, now cut your hair!’”
2. “Before and after, 10 inches of hair donated!!”
3. Both styles look very good on her!
4. “Gave all my hair to Locks of Love.”
5. “I also cut off and donated most of my hair.”
6. First cut in nearly four years.
7. “From straightening my hair every day to finding out that THIS was possible!”
8. “My beard and hair transformation — 2009/2019”
9. “Took the plunge today and cut it all off!”
10. “Before and after: big chop and new routine”
11. “Just donated my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.”
12. “From damaged and over processed because I wanted blonde curls so bad, to embracing my natural dark hair!”
13. “I saw my daughter’s beautiful curls start to form, I knew that the only way she would truly love her hair is if I loved mine too.”
14. “Got the job of my life, so I chopped off my hair.”
15. “Donating my hair to Locks of Love!”
16. “After my bass was stolen, I cut all my hair off, sold it for $900, donated $450 to Locks of Love, and bought a new bass with the rest.”
17. “Cut my hair yesterday. I now have 4, 12” ponytails to donate.”
18. “Cut off my hair for locks of love.”
19. “Kind of a reverse transformation, I kicked my obsession with modifying my hair and finally let it grow out natural and healthy!”
20. “Long hair to short hair, before and after”
If you were to have a hair makeover, what style would you choose? Share your own OMG-worthy hair transformation in the comments!
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