Bizarre case of the man who permanently turned himself blue

Among the curious cases of humans achieving strange feats such as eating an entire plane, one case stands out as a man who managed to turn his entire skin blue.

Paul Karason, from Bellingham in Washington, shocked the world after he appeared on the Today Show back in 2008, revealing his unique skin colour. He explained that he started using a home remedy that he found on the internet to treat his flaky skin and acid reflux.

Paul Karason started using a home remedy that turned his skin blue / Youtube/Inside Edition

In a YouTube mini-documentary, Karason showed how he makes his home remedy. By attaching electrodes to a strand of silver wire, Karason sends a current into the distilled water. After about 15 minutes, the silver is extracted and dissolved in the water, producing a milky liquid - the final product that Karason drinks.

However, it wasn't the drink being consumed that caused the startling change, but when Karason started applying the solution directly to his skin. This is also why the skin colour of Karason's wife who also drinks the silver colloid, remains untouched.

Karason pointed out that it was actually a friend that first noticed the difference in skin colour.

'A friend that hadn’t seen me for a while came by and asked me what I’d done to myself,' he admitted.

Now, when he goes out in public, he's noticed people have coined the term for him 'Papa Smurf'.

In one interview, Karason's wife, Jackie, explained that he takes comments quite light-heartedly when it comes to children.

Despite the colour change, Karason experienced health benefits from the silver colloid / Youtube/Inside Edition

'That was a nickname he didn’t appreciate, depending on who said it,' Jackie said.

'If it was a kid who ran up to him saying ‘Papa Smurf’, it would put a smile on his face. But if it was an adult, well...'

Despite the attention and 'impolite' comments from some people, Karason expressed 'no regret' for using his silver remedy.

Astonishingly, Kerason did admit to the remedy alleviating his sinus problems and arthritis.

Therefore, despite his newfound purple-blue hue, Karason had no plans to stop the home remedy.

Sadly, Karason suffered a series of bad events in which he lost his house and had to return to his hometown in Bellingham where he resided in a homeless shelter. At the same time, he was also battling prostate cancer and heart problems.

In September 2013, Karason died at age 62 after a heart attack-induced pneumonia and stroke - but leaves behind him a legacy as the 'Blue Man.'