What does an evaporation line look like on a pregnancy test

What’s an evap line?

Evap lines, or evaporation lines, are a fairly common phenomenon that can happen on any kind of home pregnancy test that isn’t digital. They occur after urine dries, leaving a faint line behind that can easily be misinterpreted. What I didn’t realize was that an evap line can look exactly like a positive test result.

Why does an evaporation line occur on a pregnancy test?

Pregnancy tests are basically tiny chemistry experiments you run on your bathroom counter. Urine travels across a test strip where it has a chance to interact with both a control line, and a test line. This second line is where hCG (a pregnancy hormone) will interact with reagents on the test strip, resulting in anywhere from a faint line to a dark line depending on your hCG levels, indicating a positive pregnancy test. The tricky part, aside from not peeing on your fingers while you’re doing it, is that you can’t always control for every variable in this experiment. Here are a few scenarios that can lead to evap lines:

Indentations: An imperfection that causes an indent line in the test strip can cause urine to pool unevenly on a portion of the strip, leaving a faint line that could be misinterpreted.

Ink: Sometimes the ink used to signal a positive result is pulled into the results window by drying urine causing a very convincing second line that looks like a positive test line.

Dark urine: Sometimes urine can dry in a way that causes a faint gray, shadowy, or colorless line across the strip, giving the appearance of a faint positive pregnancy test.

These lines, no matter how convincing, are still negative results. It’s also important to note that evap lines are different from false positives, even though the rollercoaster you get sent on can be the same.

Are some tests better than others for avoiding evap lines?

The internet has strong feelings about what pregnancy test kits are better overall, but there’s no science to back up if blue dye tests or pink dye tests are better for avoiding evap lines specifically. Going digital in this case is probably best, or just following the instructions and not reading the results outside of the testing window. Seriously. Treat it like The Ring. After the allotted time, read the results, then take that test and get it out of your house. It’s too tempting to look and wonder if maybe it’s just a false negative (it isn’t - don’t do this to yourself).

But I want to look, because what if?!

A second line or a plus that shows up after the recommended time frame is over isn’t an accurate result and doesn’t count. You can always retest later on if you got a negative test result, and you’re thinking your levels of hCG just aren’t high enough to read yet. Just maybe wait until the morning since you’re going to want to use a first thing in the morning urine sample.

And if you’re like me and rocking a trusty IUD and NEED TO KNOW THIS VERY SECOND if that evap line is the first sign of a big problem, you can go to the doctor and get the blood test. But any result read outside of the testing window is invalid.

What do I do if I see an evap line that looks positive?

Retest. Either with a new, unexpired urine pregnancy test, or with a blood test at your ob/gyn if there’s a reason - like an IUD, or a suspected ectopic pregnancy. Or just because you need to know.

Regardless of if it’s a faint colorless streak, a faint positive line, or a dark line in the wrong spot, the best thing to do is throw away the test in question, and retest. This isn’t a valid pregnancy test result, and it’s not worth driving yourself nutty over. Trust me. Been there, dug that out of the trash… and regretted it.

Have you ever seen an evap line?

Help those of us who've fallen for this trick feel not so alone by telling us about it in the comments below.

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Trained in dentistry, Sree is currently pursuing lab sciences. She loves researching and sharing information on various health topics.

Evaporation line on a home pregnancy test. Does this mean I'm pregnant?

What Does an Evaporation Line Mean on a Pregnancy Test?

It can be confusing when a woman sees two lines on her pregnancy test—one dark and another very faint. If the line appears within five minutes of testing, then a faint line indicates a positive pregnancy. However, a faint line could also be an evaporation line, which, according to Dr. Peter Rizk, MD, "is caused by evaporation of the urine in the result window of a pregnancy test. It develops after the recommended reaction time frame (approx. five minutes) when the urine on the test area begins to dry, leaving a faint, colorless line. This may appear on any test regardless of brand." This line is not an indication of hCG hormone reacting with the reagent in the home pregnancy test strip and does not indicate a positive pregnancy. Unlike a faint positive line, which can be a light blue or light pink (depending on the brand of the test), an evaporation line is nearly colorless. Dr. Rizk says that "manufacturers recommend that you should not read tests after a designated time period, as most test brands have the possibility of developing evaporation lines."

What Causes an Evaporation Line?

An evaporation line appears when a woman waits too long and reads the result after the recommended reaction time period (usually five minutes after testing). This is why it's important to read the results according to the time stated. Some women keep the test strip after seeing a negative result and then check on it again after the recommended time and assume they're pregnant when they see a faint line. If the test turns out negative within 5 minutes of testing, then it is negative. Waiting a few more minutes will not make it a positive result!

Evaporation lines do not always appear for every test. This is because urine has very unique characteristics and compositions among different individuals. Some women may see an evaporation line after five minutes while for others, this line may appear in an hour or so.

Do evaporation lines have color? Evap line vs. faint positive.

Faint Line vs. Evaporation Line

The Difference Between an Evaporation Line and a Faint Positive

If you see a faint line within the reaction time period, it is not an evaporation line. No matter how faint it is, this line is considered a positive and is an indication that you took the test too early—most likely right after implantation when hCG levels are still low—or your urine was diluted. An evaporation line appears after the allotted reaction time and is virtually colorless.

What Color Are Evaporation Lines on Pregnancy Tests?

Evaporation lines on pregnancy tests are generally colorless, but not always. There are some evaporation lines that do have color—either a light blue or light pink. The color, however, is very faint and not as dark as the color of the control line. The evaporation line can also sometimes appear greyish.

Color of Evaporation Line on a Blue Dye Pregnancy Test

On blue dye tests, evaporation lines are very faint. This type of pregnancy test kit has two windows. The elongated window will show the control line, indicating that the test kit is working correctly. Right beside this is another round window where the test line will show up.

Negative Result: A single horizontal line appears for a negative pregnancy test. The horizontal line is always dark blue and solid.

Positive Result: If positive for pregnancy, there will be one horizontal line intersected with one vertical line, forming a plus sign. The evaporation line typically shows up as a very faint, thin, and almost colorless vertical line. If you test early and have low levels of hCG, the vertical line may be faint. Again, if you read it after the recommended reaction time, the vertical line is most likely an evaporation line.

Types of Lines on a Pregnancy Test

Indented Lines

A test line should typically appear at the center of the test window. If the line shows up anywhere but in the center (or not evenly spaced with the control line), it is called an indented line. Indented lines are completely colorless or may appear white in some cases. They can show up within the frame or outside.

An indented line is fairly common, but is sometimes misinterpreted as a positive pregnancy indicator. However, indented lines are simply the antibody strip of the test kit. It isn’t an evaporation line, a positive test result, or even a false positive one. If the indented line is grey or has a color (however faint), then it is considered as an evap line.

Dye Runs

Dye runs are smudged lines that show up in the area where a true test line should be. This is a false line. It may look like a promising indication of pregnancy, but it isn’t. It is also not an evap line. A true test line should be solid, not smudged. Dye runs are usually a result of the dye not being able to run smoothly across the test strip because the dye gets stuck and accumulates in one area of the strip. When this happens, the test results are unreliable. You should test again with a new test.

Disappearing Line

A disappearing line is a solid, colored line that disappears or fades after a few minutes or a couple of hours. This can be a huge downer for those who celebrate a positive result only to be disappointed when it disappears. This happens when the entire dye has not finished flowing over the test strip. The dye can briefly get stuck in one spot and then continue moving along later.

A disappearing line is not considered an evap line or a positive result. However, it is not a clear negative either. The pregnancy test is not reliable in this case, and it is recommended that you test again using a new test.

True Positive Test Result

A true, reliable positive result should appear as a solid line that is colored and does not go away. The color should be the same as the control line. The width should also be the same. It should be very visible and remain visible even after 48 hours. With most brands of home pregnancy tests, the positive test line never fades away.

Understanding the truth about the evap line. Pregnancy test results and interpretation.

Using and Interpreting a Home Pregnancy Test Kit

Most home pregnancy testing kits require a minimum of five minutes of reaction time. This is the time needed in order for the chemicals in the test kit to react with the hCG hormone in a woman's urine. hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is one of the early hormones produced when a woman is pregnant. This is released by the chorion, one of the fetal membranes that ensure the survival of the embryo.

There Are Two Basic Types of Home Pregnancy Test Kits:

• The most common ones are dipsticks or test strips, which you either dip in a cup of urine or hold under a stream of urine. The urine will saturate the test strip. If there is hCG present, the hormone will react with antibodies in the strip. Dye will accumulate in this area, and a second line will appear, indicating a positive pregnancy. If no hCG is present, then there will be nothing on the antibody strip to react to the dye.
• The second type of home pregnancy test uses a test device and a urine collection cup. A urine sample is collected in the cup, and the test device is placed in it. Another version of this test kit has a small well on one end where you place a few drops of urine in using a dropper. If pregnancy is detected, the test device changes color.

How Accurate Are Home Pregnancy Tests?

Home pregnancy tests nowadays are very reliable, provided you use a concentrated urine sample and do the process correctly.

The best sample is the first urine in the morning. This will give the most accurate result. The day of urine collection also matters. Levels of hCG (if present) depend on how far along the pregnancy is. In the early stages (a few days before a missed period), you will have very low hCG levels because the main tissue that produces this hormone has yet to fully develop. As the pregnancy develops, hCG levels steadily increase.

Reading and Interpreting the Results

The results should be read between three to five minutes. Beyond that, urine will start to dry off, and an evaporation line will start to appear.

During the reaction time, bands will start to appear in the test window. These bands will show either a positive or a negative pregnancy. A single line means a negative pregnancy result, and two lines mean the woman is pregnant. The first line that appears is the control band. The appearance of this line indicates that the test kit is working. The second line will only appear if the test kit has detected the presence of hCG in the urine sample.

Home Pregnancy Test Best Practices

It is important that a home test be performed properly to get the most accurate results. The instructions will differ slightly among various brands and types, but generally, you should follow these guidelines:

• Use only test kits that have not yet expired. The chemicals in the kit can expire and will not be reliable.
• Test kits must be stored properly prior to use. Exposure to direct sunlight and/or other degrading factors can cause the chemicals inside the test strip to be unstable and unreliable.
• Carefully read the instructions that come with the test kit. Manufacturers may have slightly different methods of doing the test. These differences may include the reaction time. Most manufacturers recommend reading results that appear within 5 minutes of testing. Others may require longer. It is important to know this because results that appear after the reaction time are invalid.
• Check to see what special preparations are required before a urine sample is obtained. For example, some test kits may be sensitive to certain food components or to changes in the body related to physical activity. Follow directions carefully to get the most accurate results.
• Use a clock if the test kit requires specific timing. Guessing the time will only yield inaccurate results.

Testing Time Frame

Many women wonder how soon they can take a home pregnancy test. As a general rule, you should wait at least a week after your missed period to test. If you want to take it sooner, you can use a pregnancy test with low sensitivity (less than 20 mIU/ml), however, these tests may not be accurate, so it is always better to wait.

Causes of a Faint Test Line Other Than Evaporation

Taking the Test Too Early

Some women use a home pregnancy test even before a missed period. The best time to test is at least seven to 10 days after ovulation, or at least three days after your missed period. Testing earlier than that can result in a false negative or a faint positive reading. If you get a faint positive line, repeat the test after a few days. Use the first urine in the morning. This urine sample is concentrated and will likely have a higher level of hCG, which will give you a more accurate result.

Home Pregnancy Test Sensitivity Is Low

Test sensitivity varies from brand to brand. Getting a test kit with higher sensitivity will give a more accurate result. Most tests are 20–25 miU/ml. The lower the number, the more sensitive the test will be. Typically, higher sensitivities are recommended for testing during the early stages of pregnancy. These test kits use a different formulation in the antibody strip so that no matter how low the concentration of hCG is, the antibodies will still pick it up. If you use a lower sensitivity test kit that is designed for testing during the later stages of pregnancy, the test will not be able to detect the low amounts of hCG.

Urine Sample Is Diluted

It might be that the urine sample used is diluted. If diluted, the concentrations of hCG in the urine are too low, and you will get a weak reaction on the test strip.

Urine dilution happens when there is frequent urination and/or you consume a large amount of liquid before taking a urine sample.

To avoid using a diluted urine sample, use the first urine in the morning. Generally, you can test at any time of the day, but the first urine in the morning is really concentrated. This is because urine has stayed in the urinary bladder for an entire night’s sleep. For a pregnant woman, this urine will contain the highest concentration of hCG. Hence, the first urine in the morning is the best sample to use to get more accurate results.

Chemical Pregnancy

This is an early miscarriage that will still produce hCG hormones, resulting in a faint positive pregnancy test. During a very early miscarriage, the fertilized egg gets implanted and produces little amounts of hCG. It then detaches (miscarries) before the fetal membranes (i.e., chorion, etc.) forms. If the fetal membranes fail to form, hCG levels will remain low.

If a woman sees a faint line, there is a small possibility that hCG levels remained low due to an early miscarriage. Typically, women who experience a chemical pregnancy will bleed heavily about a week after their period was due. If you suspect a chemical pregnancy, please see a doctor immediately.

What Should I Do If I See an Evap Line?

An evap line on a pregnancy test means nothing, so it has to be discarded. It does not indicate pregnancy and is merely a result of evaporation. If you think the line is a faint positive, the best next step is to repeat the pregnancy test. hCG levels in the body typically double every 48 hours. As the levels of hCG rise, the positive test line should grow darker.

You can also consult a qualified medical expert for confirmatory tests ( i.e., an ultrasound). Seeking the aid of a medical expert for further tests is the better option. There are instances when false positive results happen with home pregnancy test kits. hCG levels are affected by several factors and are not limited to the presence of a fetus in the womb.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

Monika gulgi on July 11, 2020:

I have one question that my pregnancy test is to light colour... TN iam pregnancy or no plezz Tel me

Hertty on May 24, 2020:

Am I pregnant because I tested and it’s faint line . And de second one too am I pregnant

Sarah bill on December 26, 2019:

Did pregnancy test one line was dark and other One light.. did another test negative not started my period still what does it mean am not pregnant??

Cassey on December 25, 2019:

If pink line doesn't mean it pregnant?

I hope this is not pregnant

Because I'm still studying I don't want my family get mad on me plss help me..

katelyn churunel on December 03, 2019:

Im ttc. I tested with blue dye and it had a very faint line, I tested with pink dye and it was negative. could I be pregnant?

Nombuso on October 01, 2018:

Hy please my pregnant test started with the negative line then after it became faint and dirty am i pregnant plz guys

Muma on August 05, 2018:

I' ve taken 3 pregnancy test & all of them come up as 1 line bright n the other line very light , and i am wondering if am pregnant ... ive take 2 in the week which they come out as 1 line bright n the other 1 very faded n the other 1 ive took this morning early as i wake come out as 1 line bright & the other 1 light

Reelmp3.com on July 18, 2018:

I ran a test and got two lines, one really tick and one faint, i alreay vomitted twice today, does it mean am pregnant?

Priya on December 25, 2017:

Help me please . I have faint line .doctor says m pregnant but after some days I took pregnancy test at home it shows negative . can you say please m pregnant or not .

Natalie on October 12, 2017:

Please help me. I'm 18 & I think i just had a positive pregnancy result.

In July 2017, my boyfriend and I had PROTECTED SEX. He didn't ejaculate at all, because I was too tired that night. I had a 16-hr flight and was really tired. We are on long distance relationship and I was quite tight and we werent able to insert it fully. (Note that we used condom all through the night we were trying to have sex.) i didnt have sex with anyone before that, or for the last 10 months before rhat night because we are on ldr.

So no ejaculation, no full penetration. Also, it was the 5th day of my period. Protected sex.

2 days after, I went on the Depo-Shot. I Waited for 11 days until I had sex with my boyfriend again. We didnt have any sexual contact 11 days after depo.

After a month of depo, in August, I started to bleed. Irregularly. Despite of bleeding, my boyfriend and I have sex once-thrice a week without condom, sometimes he ejaculates inside me. I figured that I was safe because I was on the Depo-Shot.

Our last sexual intercourse was on sept 21, 3 days later, I went back abroad.

Now, on October 11, I tried testing myself for pregnancy, because I thought my belly was getting big? Lol. Note that I am a 50kg woman, petite, was kind of fit before I went to see my boyfriend but I definitely gained weight from eating out while with him. My breasts are not sore. I dont feel tired or sleepy all the time.

But my test showed otherwise? Or maybe they are just evap lines?

So on october 11 I tested with my first wee of the day. I used clearblue digital. I tested at 430am, waited and saw that it was negative. (Wasnt able to take pic) I threw it in the garbage bin. Befpre I leave for school at 8, I checked it again. Negative. (Again, wasnt able to take pic). When i came home from school, I noticed that there were thin i cant really describe lines. I'll post the pic if I can.

Please help me. I'm in grade 12 and last yr of high school. I am really careful with everything, and even went on birth control- the depo shot. I didnt have sex, because the doc said to wait 7 days before having aexual intercourse. I waited 11 days. Then, had regular sex after that wait. Last sex is on Sept 21 and my nxt appt is on Oct 17, meaninng to say that the shot is still in my body. Please please help me.

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