So you've read why people get their Rings stuck on their fingers, the big question is:
How do you remove rings that get too tight, snug, and hurt the finger?
There really is no real trick to doing this. Sometimes when the finger gets so swollen and engorged it's beyond the point of help. I've seen a couple blue and purple fingers come into the store before, it's not pretty! But there is help...
Jewelers will always try to get the rings off first the normal way. They'll use lotions and windex and work the ring off the finger. Sometimes they are lucky. Sometimes just working the swollen finger through the loop of the ring can cause it to slip off. One thing you have to remember, when customers try to get their rings off they try by pulling the ring straight off, and all that does is bunch the folds of your skin together and trap the ring from coming off. Jewelers will actually move the ring up the finger a little at a time, and in the process, pull parts of the skin back through the ring. Gently working the skin through a little at a time can really make the difference. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't.
Usually when it's to the point where customers have to come into the Jewelry Store, it's too late! It's usually a last resort and there's only one thing left to do...
Cut it off! Yep, that's right. You knew it was coming. Your pretty little wedding band will have to be snipped in half. Jewelers are not as rough as Paramedics though when it comes to ring removal. In an Emergency, Paramedics use bolt cutters and don't really care about saving the ring.
Jewelers are a little bit more careful. We actually use a small circular saw that slips in between the finger and the ring. This steel tool gently cuts a straight line through the shank of your ring. (Where they size it. See Picture!) Then with pliers, each end of the split ring is grasped and pulled up and away from the finger. Bending the ring up and back allows us to remove it off of your finger. You just have to be extremely careful because the edges of the ring get razor sharp from the saw. It can slice your finger if you pull your hand away too fast. Be careful. Let the Jeweler slide the ring off your swollen finger.
Once removed, you should feel some instant relief. And once that ring comes off there are two things you must do:
1) Wash your hands immediately! The ring saw slices through the rings and leaves sharp little jagged pieces of gold dust on your hands and fingers. You do not want those slivers in your eyes. Wash your hands pronto to remove any small metal fragments.
2) Wait a couple weeks or even a couple months before you get your ring sized to fit your finger again. Right now, your finger is still swollen and puffy from working it for hours. That indentation took years to indent. It'll take a while before your finger returns to normal, which means it'll be hard to get a correct ring size while your finger's in this state. Wait until it heals and then get your ring resized to fit!
And don't worry, Jewelers have a knack for reshaping, resizing and resoldering your rings back to normal. The sawing only takes a couple minutes. The sizing a couple of days. But in the end, your ring will be back together. It'll look brand new again. You'll be able to wear it and be happy. And you won't have to worry about hurting your finger again!
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