How Do You Remove A Tight Ring With Dental Floss
If you know someone who has a swollen finger, you might be wondering how to remove their ring. Swelling is common with injuries or infections, and it can make ring removal difficult. If a doctor says it’s safe, you can use dental floss to remove the ring.
In this post, we’ll also discuss how to reduce swelling in fingers when removing a ring and how to remove a stuck ring using plastic wrap.
How To Get A Ring Off A Swollen Knuckle
A stuck ring can simply be the result of wearing a ring that’s too small. Joint arthritis can also trigger it, as your body undergoes changes over time. The inflammation can cause the joints and tissue to swell, which prevents you from removing your ring.
Here’s how to get a ring off safely:
- Squirt some Windex—yes, Windex—on the fingers and ring. Or, use any lubricant, such as soap or oil.
- Elevate the hand overhead for 5–10 minutes with ice around the ring and fingers.
- Use dental floss or a thread to compress the swollen finger as shown:
Slip the thread or floss under the stuck ring with the bulk of it toward the fingertip.
Beginning at the top of the ring, snugly wrap the finger with the thread/floss around and around, compressing the finger, all the way up and over the knuckle.
With the end that was under the ring, begin to unwrap the thread or floss with the ring sliding over the knuckle as you go.
11 Tips To Remove A Ring From A Swollen Finger
A ring stuck on your finger can be dreadful. You may have worn a ring smaller than your size, you might have gained weight, or if you’re just months away from giving birth to a baby, there’s a high chance that your ring will stick on your swollen or fat finger.
On the other hand, some unfortunate traumas, such as insect bites or finger fractures, also lead to swollen fingers. But don’t worry; this article will cover everything you need to know if you or a loved one experiences this.
Here, we will discuss cases where you must rush to emergency care as well as how to remove a ring from a swollen finger.
Broken Finger:
If you’re suffering from a swollen finger as a result of some physical trauma, there might be a chance that you broke it. In these cases, normally, you experience extreme sharp pain followed by slow swelling of the finger.
If that’s the case, you should not try any of the below-mentioned tips to remove the ring from your swollen finger and go to a doctor as soon as possible.
Mottling:
If the skin in your swollen finger has purple or reddish blotches or patches, these symptoms can be an indication of abnormal blood circulation in the finger. If you notice signs of mottling on your finger, it would be advisable not to attempt removing the ring at home.
Bluish-Gray Color:
Grayish blue or purple-colored finger indicates that the ring has compromised the blood circulation. Once you feel that your swollen finger is turning blue or it is becoming numb, rush to a hospital to get an emergency ring removal.
Capillary Refill Test:
We perform the capillary refill test to track the flow of blood into the tissue. Hold the hand with the swollen finger higher than the heart level and press the tip of the finger or fingernail until it turns white.
Note the time it takes for the color to return, also called capillary refill time. Normally, capillary refill time is less than 2 seconds. If it takes longer for the color to return, be smart and seek medical care as soon as possible.
Try These At-Home Emergency Ring Removal Techniques:
Were you able to rule out the above-mentioned threatening conditions? If yes, take a deep breath, be grateful that your finger is safe, and try the following techniques to remove the ring from the swollen finger.
1. Twist And Pull The Ring
When a ring becomes stuck, people often panic and attempt to remove it straight away. Be patient and slowly twist the ring by applying a gentle upward force. If the swelling is not severe, this method may be effective.
2. Press And Push The Ring
If twisting the ring didn’t do the work for you, try pressing the swollen finger from the underside and pushing the ring upwards simultaneously. As the ring approaches the knuckle, push the ring from the upper side of the finger.
3. Dip Your Finger In Ice Water
If the above two methods failed, it signifies that your finger is severely swollen. Dip your finger in ice-cold water for three to five minutes. As an alternative, you can also wrap an ice pack around the finger. Chilling your swollen finger helps reduce excess fluid buildup.
Once you chill your finger, you can try twisting and pushing the ring again.
4. Elevation Method
After submerging your finger in ice-cold water, elevate your hand above heart level for a beneficial few minutes. These two methods, when performed sequentially, become more effective in reducing the swelling in the finger.
As the hand rests above the shoulder, gravity rushes the blood away from the finger. Try removing your ring immediately after you’ve lowered your hand.
5. Lubrication
Lubrication might be the most popular technique for removing a ring from a swollen or fat finger. The principle is simple: make your finger slippery with the help of some lubricating substance such that it reduces the friction between the ring and the finger.
You can apply plentiful hand lotion, oily moisturizers, petroleum jelly, vegetable oil, butter, conditioner, or soap to make your finger slippery and slowly twist and pull the ring upwards.
6. Use A Surgical Glove
You might be surprised, but the surgical glove is also very effective in removing a stuck ring from a swollen finger. Doctors often use this method over the dental-floss method since it is less painful and can be used even in a wounded finger.
Cut a finger portion of a surgical glove cylindrically and insert it into the finger. With the help of forceps or tweezers, insert the cut portion of the glove in between the finger and the ring. Turn the glove underneath the ring inside out and gently pull it outwards.
You can make this method more effective by lubricating the gloves and then pulling them outwards.
7. Use The String-Wrap Method
If none of the above techniques worked, this Harvard Medical School-approved method might do its job. Insert one end of the string or dental floss under the ring using a toothpick or a tweezer. Now, wrap the string tightly around the finger, starting right adjacent to the ring.
Wrap the string evenly and make sure that you are not wrapping it extremely tight, either, which might lead to further complications. You can stop wrapping the string once you’ve passed over the knuckle and secure the end.
Now, take the end of the string or the floss that you’ve inserted under the ring and start unwrapping the string in the same direction you wrapped it. This practice forces the ring to slide over the string easily.
Since this method might be painful or overwhelming to perform alone, taking someone else’s help would be a smart decision.
8. Use Nylon Cloth Or An Elastic
The string-wrap method might be terrifying to some people since it might elevate the pain that you’re already experiencing due to a swollen finger and a stuck ring. Instead of dental floss or string, you can cut a thin strip of nylon cloth or an elastic and insert it under the ring.
Wrap the strip and unwrap it exactly the way you would in the string-wrap method. This method might not be as effective as a string-wrap method because the cloth or the elastic might be difficult to wrap evenly and smoothly around the finger, which eventually increases the friction against the ring.
9. Try Windex
Though this might not be the best option for many types of precious rings, Windex might miraculously remove the stuck ring off your swollen finger. Many professionals in the ER are also known to use this technique for ring removal.
Windex acts as a lubricant and is also believed to reduce surface tension between the finger and ring as the result of various surfactants present in it. Spray some Windex on your ring and finger, and try twisting the ring after about 10–20 seconds.
10. Remove A Stuck Ring With A Plastic Wrap
Sounds atypical, doesn’t it? But you can also remove your ring off a swollen finger using plastic wrap or cling film.
Just as in the case of the surgical glove method, wrap the plastic around the finger and insert about half an inch of the wrap under the ring. Finally, lubricate the plastic wrap and twist and slide your ring outwards slowly.
11. Cutting The Ring
If none of the above-mentioned methods works, you might have to cut off the ring to protect your finger. Make sure you only cut your ring at home if a professional or experienced person is present.
It is highly recommended to visit a hospital or a jewelry shop for this method since they have professional ring-cutting equipment. Your jeweler may also know how to cut the ring so that a shank repair is easier if you want one.
Now that we’ve discussed when to visit emergency care and all possible at-home techniques for ring removal from a swollen or fat finger, you can try various methods until you find the one that works for you.
But you must be patient and not too harsh, as this may cause more irritation.
Finally, if you or your close ones experience unfortunate situations such as getting stung by an insect or suffering from a finger injury once again, make sure to remember and remind others to take off the rings immediately to save yourself from this painful and annoying experience.
Conclusion
Do not panic if your ring becomes stuck on your finger! You can attempt a number of methods to get rid of it. In simple situations, the string wrap (dental floss) technique may be effective, but it should be used with caution because tight wraps can damage fingers and exacerbate swelling; if this doesn’t work, the stuck ring may become even more stuck. To apply the string wrap technique, start at your middle knuckle and work your way to the ring’s edge by firmly wrapping a thin piece of thread or dental floss around your finger. The ring can be gradually removed by slipping the end of the thread under it, pulling it taut, and then beginning to unwind it in the same direction. Try applying a lubricant like cooking oil or icing your finger to lessen swelling if that doesn’t work.
