Need Help Getting Ring Off

Updated on March 08, 2009
K.B. asks from Pataskala, OH
35 answers

Hello everyone!!! I have had my wedding band stuck on my finger and it will not come off. I have had stuck for a couple of years now and it has become quite uncomfortable. Any suggestions on getting it off? I do not want to get it cut off- but may have to resort to that. I obviously gained some weight with my 4 children and my fingers are bigger than they were when I got married. Thanks to anyone who can help!!!!

5 moms found this helpful

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Thank you so much to everyone who offered suggestions. I got my ring off last night after having it stuck for over 3 years!!!! My husband got my some ice from outside with a little snow on it and I put it on my finger then some cold water and then we used vegetable oil to get it off. It hurt very much- my finger is a little bit sore but at least it is off!!! Thanks so much again.

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.K.

answers from Elkhart on

Hi K.,
try lotion or dish soap or cooking oil.
that is the only way I can get mine off.
Good luck!!

L.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.F.

answers from Elkhart on

Hi K.,

When my ring gets tight on my finger, I slather some lotion on my hands and then am able to twist the ring off of my finger. Soap is also an effective tool.

Good luck.

Pam Fisk

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.W.

answers from Cleveland on

I worked in jewelry store part time in college and when women or men would come in with a ring stuck we would use windex and it worked well. Hope this helps.

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.L.

answers from Columbus on

They used a pretty neat trick with a friend of mine at the ER a few weeks back to get hers off. The nurse wrapped a length of dental floss (the wider, flat kind) around her finger in a spiral fashion, then slowly unwound it from the back of her finger by her hand in a forward motion and as she did so the ring just inched forward until it got past her knuckle and they were able to slip it right off :) She said it was the neatest trick. My Aunt is also a nurse and she said that yarn works too and that you start at the end of your finger and wrap it around and around back towards you hand, then you have to slip the end into the ring so it goes between your finger and the ring and comes out back towards your hand. Then, starting with the end you just slipped through the ring, you unwind it and it moves the ring right down your finger. Wow, I just read what I typed and it sounds confusing! :) Hope it makes sense :) Good Luck!

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.G.

answers from Columbus on

You could use either baby oil or cooking oil on your finger to see if you can get the oil between your finger and the ring to get it off. Or you can use soap as well. If you still can not get it off and you have to have it cut off sometime if you go to the Fire department they have a device that can do and they will not charge you for it most of the time. If you go to doctor or Hospital they will charge you to cut it off. Good luck. I hope this helps.

2 moms found this helpful

T.C.

answers from Lexington on

I know this is too little too late, but next time you or someone you know are in this fix take a piece of thick yarn or nylon string. Start wrapping your finger from the top, going round and round, each strand side by side all the way down to you ring. Tight as you can stand. Then pull the string through your ring and start to pull the string away from your body. The ring should "unscrew" right off. The string distributes the flesh of your finger and the string slowly pulls the ring off!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.M.

answers from Indianapolis on

Windex. Use to work in the jewelry buisness and that is always worked. Of course if that does not do the trick it will need to be cut off;-(

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.D.

answers from Indianapolis on

Try putting your hand in ice water until you can't stand it anymore. Then put olive oil round your finger and try to pull it off.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.R.

answers from Cleveland on

I read through a bunch, but not all, so I hope this isn't a repeat. A jeweler did this for me:

put your arm out straight and totally relax. Have someone rub your finger liberally with dish soap. She kinda massaged my hand to relax me more then just slid the ring right off. Your muscles are contracted when your arm is bent, so someone else has to take it off since your arm is now straight. good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.V.

answers from Columbus on

You can use dental floss by wrapping it around your finger right above the ring...slide it a little then rewrap your finger a little further up. I would guess people in an emergency room know how to do this. I first heard it from an emergency room nurse. You might be able to google it and get more specific instructions. Just don't leave the dental floss on any spot very long. The only problem I am thinking is that you're not going to be able to wear it later. At least if you had it cut, you could get it expanded.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.W.

answers from Elkhart on

Cold water and dish soap or any liquid soap. Use lots!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.V.

answers from Columbus on

wait for the nexr really cold day. Go outside for a oouple of minutes without gloves that witl cause the blood vessels in your fingers to constict. The moment you come in use some vegtable or oli oil as a lubricant to try to remove the ring good luck.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.B.

answers from Muncie on

Go to a professional jeweler and have them cut it off...then they can expand it to fit your finger.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.H.

answers from Cincinnati on

Don't eat anything salty for a couple days so that you don't retain water. Then run cold water over your hand and put vaseline all around your finger and hopefully you can work it off that way. Just make sure you do it before the weather warms up. It will be much harder then.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.N.

answers from Albany on

Yay! You got your ring off! And you didn't have to cut the ring or even your finger off! LOL! When I got married in '86, my grandmother told me not to ever take my wedding band off. And I never have!!! It's been on my finger for almost 23 years now and it's never been removed. I had to take my engagement ring off during my two pregnancies, but the wedding band has remained right on my finger, so I'm not sure if I'd even be able to get it off if I needed to! A lot of moms recommended Windex, so there must be something to that one. Glad you got your ring off K.! :)
D. N.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.O.

answers from Tampa on

K..
Try pulling it off by putting/using a lot of soapy water OR
liquid oil i.e. Olive Oil. Good luck.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.H.

answers from Fort Wayne on

I had a friend whose wedding ring go stuck and she had to have it cut off. The jeweler was able to rebuild the ring expanded it and soldered it back together

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.W.

answers from Cincinnati on

If soap and oil or vaseline doesn't work then if must be cut. Best have it done before there is an issue from the ring being too tight. You probably don't want to hear this either but I know someone who wound up having their fingure cut off due to turning black after getting a ring cut off.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.B.

answers from Lafayette on

let me say first that i'm not insinuating that you are overweight, with that...at the hospital tht i worked at when we had overweight people come in for surgery & haven't had their rings off for a very long time, we poured dishsoap on their finger, then took a rubberband & slid it under the ring, then tucked one end into the opening of the other side of the rubber band and then turning the rubberband clockwise the entire diameter of the ring, pull gently toward the end of your finger. it takes about 2-8 minutes and it doesn't hurt like yanking on it would. good luck.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.Y.

answers from Canton on

i hope you have vaseline.use that.any one who has soap will help also i hate to say it but if it dont work cut it off.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.P.

answers from Cleveland on

spray windex on your ring and finger, it really works!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.O.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Our local Jewelry store uses this trick.
lay your hand on a towel, spray the finger, around
the ring with windex, window cleaner, rub around.
and the ring slides right off. I don't know why,
but it is a life saver suggestion.
try this and see the results.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.B.

answers from Chicago on

I didn't read all the responses, however, this works for me. Take a longer piece of dental floss and slip it underneath the ring. Put the two ends together and begin pulling up circling the the floss around the ring while pulling the ring up and off the finger. The gentle pressure will ease the ring off.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.

answers from Cleveland on

My jeweler always tells me to use windex.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.B.

answers from Toledo on

Get your hands cold so your fingers shrink a little, then try removing the ring with soapy water or some oil. If that doesn't work, call a jeweler for advice. Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.F.

answers from Fort Wayne on

I am assuming you have tried the normal home remedies such as mineral oil or vegetable oil or butter to slide the ring off. You might consider going on a low or no sodium diet temporarily and taking an over the counter diuretic to reduce water weight. Then you can try running your hand under cold water to reduce any swelling and srhink the blood vessels. Then use an oil to try to slide the ring off. Good luck.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.T.

answers from Cincinnati on

I heard of Dawn dish washing liquid. You can also try olive oil. I hope it works. Please let me know if it does.

38 yr old wife and mother of 4(3,6,8,&10).

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.D.

answers from Nashville on

this happened to me before and I used WINDEX WINDOW spray.I tried this and it worked.Please try and let me know the outcome.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.R.

answers from Indianapolis on

I know you have tried soap, vaseline, lotion, and I am sure ice on your finger to try to shrink it. You can try baby oil, bath oil or cooking oil, then attempt to slip a rubber band under the band and pull one of the loops up through the other and attempt to pull it slowly off turning it while you a pulling. If none of that works, and after two years none of these methods are probably going to work, much as I hate to say this it may well have to be cut off. The nice thing is they can enlarge and repair the band so you won't be able to tell it was cut off and enlarged and you can once again wear the rings.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.S.

answers from Toledo on

Take a string and wrap it around your finger, starting at the ring and working toward the tip. Make like a sleeve for your finger, then slide the ring over the string. It should be like putting a girdle on your finger. Good luck. BTW, I totally know how you feel. I haven't been able to wear my wedding ring in 4 years. It's still sitting in my jewelry box, taunting me about how fat I got! ha ha

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.B.

answers from Elkhart on

try running your hand under super COLD water for several minutes to help shrink you finger and then lather up with soap. It worked for me.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.N.

answers from Columbus on

Hi K., this worked for me, just put your finger in vegetable oil,, soak it real good, and then just play around with your ring, turn it around and around as you're doing this be pushing it to the end of your finger, you'll probably have to put some force behind it, eventually it will slide right off. Good luck. D..

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.C.

answers from Fort Wayne on

You can try soaking your finger in ice water. If there is any swelling, it will take it down. Then use butter, oil, lotion, or anything slippery to try to get it off. Make sure to wiggle it off, don't just pull straight up. Even if you have to have the ring cut off, don't just throw it away. A jeweler may be able to melt the gold down and make a new ring out of it. You'd probably have to take it to a place that does custom work. Good Luck!!!!!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.B.

answers from Dayton on

A nurse I worked with had a patient hold on to an ice pack to help with any swelling (even if it doesn't seem like there is any) then was able to work it off with soapy water. Worked like a charm!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.C.

answers from Indianapolis on

I had the same problem. Mine was so stuck that I had to have mine cut off. I tried everything that I could think of. Good Luck

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions