How To Get A Ring Off A Swollen Knuckle

It's no secret that rings are meaningful. As creatures of habit, individuals slide rings on and off when needed. However, many contributing factors can cause the removal of a ring to be a tricky process. Let's be honest, we have all experienced at some point in our lives putting on something that does not fit us quite the way it used to. Take the stress off by learning how to successfully minimize damage and harm to your jewelry and finger with these four tips.

1. Elevate and Chill

A common belief is fingers get swollen only when it's hot. While fingers can get swollen during high temperatures, it's important to understand that our daily activities and life stages can also influence the swelling in our fingers. Other reasons fingers may swell are: pregnancy, hand impact from exercising or training, or air pressure from traveling. This hack requires minimal tools, if your hand feels too swollen to remove your ring try elevating your hand for 2-3 minutes. RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) is a common technique used for athletes trying to reduce swelling of a limb or joint. Treat your hands to a similar concept! Once you have elevated, let your hand soak in cold water or an ice bath for the same or longer amount of time.

2. Floss it Off

One of the most popular ways to remove a ring is with a common household item, floss. The idea is to add a sliding surface over the skin for the ring to gently be pulled off. It requires a lot of floss, so if you have fancy floss or use a Water Pik, try finding some ribbon in your closet.

Here's how to use ribbon or floss to remove a ring, for visual learners, you can watch this youtube video for guidance:

Have your palm up so that you can hold the floss or ribbon with your thumb. Get help from your partner to hold this part in place and with the next steps.
Cut about 12 inches of floss or ribbon and use a toothpick to push the end of the floss or ribbon underneath the ring, sliding that end so that the thumb can hold the floss or ribbon.
Spiral the remaining floss or ribbon from the mid knuckle down towards the fingertip.
Starting from the beginning of the floss or ribbon (underneath the ring), gently unspiral all the way down the finger. Have your partner do this if it's too hard to do solo.
You'll notice the ring starts to move further down the finger, removing your ring completely.

3. Slip It Off

One of the most common ways to try to remove a ring is by using a lubricant that slides it off the skin. Using liquids and oils can create a messy situation, try to do this hack over a towel instead of over your sink–getting your ring out of a pipe is not an ideal situation. Of course, if this is a concern consider jewelry insurance that keeps you worry-free when situations like this happen. The safest household lubricants for ring removal are olive oil and soap. Here's how to safely try these out:

Place a kitchen towel over a safe surface, away from any sinks. Have water and soap in a dispenser nearby.
Use soap or olive oil to coat your finger. Rub your hands vigorously for 90 seconds.
Try removing the ring, if it does not come off, move to step 4.
Drizzle water to remove the substance and add generous amounts of soap to hands.
Focus on your ring finger and try sliding the ring up and down your finger to loosen it, eventually sliding it off.

4. Wear it Elsewhere

If your ring has overtime become harder to remove, consider wearing it in alternative ways. These include a simple necklace chain or a geometrically shaped piece that fits your ring within the necklace. There are custom jewelry items to wear your ring around your neck or wrist.

Ramie Weber Jewelry created a talisman pendant for a physician who had two small

rings from her childhood and mother that became difficult to wear over time. With her busy schedule, the physician wanted a talisman to make her rings easier and comfortable to wear all day long. If necklaces are not for you, turn your wedding band into an open circle bracelet or as a custom charm.

Whether your ring is an heirloom, engagement ring, or wedding band , don't fear removing it from your finger from time to time. Arthritis and chronic conditions in the hands can cause sudden swelling making a ring too tight. If a ring won't budge and circulation is being cut off please seek medical attention. Get your ring off, safely and secure with peace of mind and stress off your finger. Here at, Zillion we proudly have you covered when your ring comes off, whenever or wherever that may be.