How to Remove a Ring Stuck on a Finger

The main reason why people fail to remove rings from their fingers is swelling. This can happen due to many factors such as heat or pregnancy. But the result is always the same: we’re unable to take off our jewelry while becoming more and more uncomfortable.

5-Minute Crafts is uncovering some safe ways to remove rings that get stuck on your fingers.

Method #1

Place your thumb under the ring and your index finger on top of it and slowly rotate the ring, twisting it like a thread and moving the jewelry toward the tip of your finger.

Method #2

Skin folds on the first phalanx of the finger can prevent ring removal. Ask someone to pull the skin of your finger down, toward your hand, and keep it in this position. At the same time, you should be twisting the ring gradually, moving it through the joint.

Method #3

If your finger became swollen because of hot weather, place your hand at a higher level than your heart (place it on the neck or shoulder) and stay in such a position for 15 minutes. The blood flow to your hand will decrease and it will let you remove the ring from your finger.

Method #4

Place the finger with the ring on it in cold water for several minutes. After that, lift the hand and keep it in such a position for 5-10 minutes: cold water and blood outflow will help eliminate swelling from the finger, which will make it much easier to remove the ring. You can also simply attach ice to the finger, as long as it doesn’t touch the jewelry item to prevent the shrinkage of metal in decreasing temperatures.

Method #5

Use vaseline, shampoo, washing detergent, cream, vegetable oil, or soap and abundantly lubricate your finger around and under the ring. Use a tissue or a piece of cloth when you start to remove the ring to be able to grip the finger properly and to avoid the slipping of fingers on the other hand.

Method #6

Remove the ring with the help of some thread. You can opt for dental floss for better gliding.

• Insert the thread into a thin needle. Pass the needle and thread through the ring and then remove the needle. Leave one end of the thread free, and tightly wrap the second end (located on the side of the nail) around the first phalanx.
• After that, take the free end of the thread (at the base of the finger) and start to unwind it. As a result, the ring should begin to move slowly along the thread. Keep making scrolling motions toward the end of your finger, pushing the ring toward the nail.

Method #7

If you’ve tried all the above options and none of them helped, you’ll have to use side cutters.

• Cut out a piece of plastic from a bottle to use as protection for your skin. Insert it between the finger and the ring. After that, cut the jewelry item with the side cutters located athwart the ring. Then unbend and remove it. The plastic layer will protect the finger from accidental injuries.