‘Tried and tested method’ to remove stuck rings on swollen fingers

Removing a stuck ring from a swollen finger can be more difficult to do in a panic, especially without the right tools.

Waiting for the swelling to ease before sliding it off is easier said than done, but it is possible with the help of a few everyday ingredients.

As temperatures soar to almost 30C across the UK, Neil Dutta, managing director at engagement and wedding ring specialists Angelic Diamonds has shared his four-step method anyone can follow at home.

He said: “The most common reason why someone’s ring gets stuck on their finger when there’s a heatwave is due to the ring being too small in the first place. It’s normal for fingers to change size slightly, however, you should be able to spin the ring around your finger and have no bulge around it.

“If you do, then you should size up in the next ring. But in the meantime, you definitely shouldn’t wear it in a heatwave as it’s more likely to get stuck.”

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How to remove a stuck ring

When it comes to removing a ring jammed on a finger, the first step is to cool the skin down to reduce swelling as much as possible.

Neil suggested placing the swollen finger in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. He said: “This works by constricting blood vessels in your finger, similar to how you would place an ice pack on an injury to help the swelling go down.”

To reduce the swelling further, keep hands raised in the air above the heart for another 10 minutes.

Doing so encourages fluid to drain away from the area and is a “tried and tested method” for most swelling-related injuries.

Before sliding the ring off the finger it is essential to lubricate the skin underneath and around it. This could be done with dish soap, shampoo, conditioner, oil, butter, petroleum jelly or lotion.

Neil warned: “Whatever you do – do not pull the ring as this will only cause more swelling.  You want to use something that will be safe for both you and the ring.”

Another way to make the ring easier to slide off is to wrap the finger in a restrictive material to slim down the swelling.

This can be done using dental floss, ribbon, cling film or an elastic band. To do this, the jewellery expert recommended pulling one end of the material under the ring towards the palm of the hand, ensuring it’s long enough to grab onto.

Then, tightly wrap the remaining material around the finger starting from the ring and moving down to the tip.

Neil said: “This will squeeze your finger so that the ring can fit over it. Grab the end that is sticking out at the bottom of the ring and slowly unravel it, the ring should move up your finger as you do this.”

A combination of the lotion and wrapping methods should work, though the expert warned against attempting to remove the ring for “extended periods” as this can cause the skin to swell even more.

The jeweller added: “If the at-home methods fail to work, visit your local jewellers and they will be able to cut the ring off for you depending on the material they may also be able to resize and repair the ring.

“If your ring is stuck on your finger and it becomes very painful or numb, visit your nearest emergency medical centre to avoid risking permanent damage, such as the loss of your finger.”