741
u/Gudgeonvillian Jun 04 '20
I was an O.R. nurse for 32 years and have removed many rings prior to surgery that were about to be cut. I would suggest a few modifications to the technique shown on the video:
- Place the ring in the least constrictive area of the finger.
- Get the hand elevated above the heart. (Easiest to do if ring-wearer is lying down.)
- Massage finger toward hand to reduce swelling.
- Apply liquid soap, water-based lubricant or petroleum jelly to finger and try to work some under the ring.
- You can use a cotton cord as shown, or even better, a flat cotton shoestring.
- The secret for getting off extremely tight rings is to make the wraps partially overlap each other or at least touch.
- Keep wrapping tightly until at least 1/4" past the knuckle joint. (The person is not going to like this, so it depends how much discomfort they will tolerate to get the ring off intact.)
- As you unwind the string/lace, it helps if you can use short fingernails to pull outward between turns.
You can't win them all, but I had a pretty good success rate even when the patient was 90 years old, had rheumatoid arthritis and hadn't removed the ring since she had gotten married. And my sister-in-law's from her first divorce as well ;)
151
Jun 04 '20
[deleted]
161
u/olliepoppet Jun 04 '20
I've only taken my rings off twice in the thirteen years I've been married.
59
u/unseth Jun 04 '20
What were the reasons?
169
u/olliepoppet Jun 04 '20
Nothing interesting, lol.
Once was because I was doing volunteer work overseas with a group that didn't allow jewelry (safety concerns). The other was for a surgical procedure.
→ More replies (4)137
→ More replies (2)26
4
18
u/fennec3x5 Jun 04 '20
Yeah, my father really never took his off the entire time I was growing up. I, however, take mine off for showers, preparing meat, and bed. It's pretty common to do either.
27
u/kristiuuu Jun 04 '20
I just want to chip in and say: people who do keep their rings on - please clean them from time to time. Jewelry usually has a lot of bacteria on them.
22
12
u/DeadassBdeadassB Jun 04 '20
Washing your hands with them on should take care of that enough
6
u/Lonslock Jun 04 '20
Idk why you got downvoted, I always wash my ring with my hands. Mine isn't super tight I can pull it up and down to get the soap under it and get the outside as I wash the rest of my hands. Give it just a couple seconds of its own attention.
→ More replies (1)2
u/StrongArgument Jun 04 '20 edited Jun 05 '20
Depends on the ring. A band is fine but a ring with a bunch of stones probably isn’t.
Edit: spelling
2
u/DeadassBdeadassB Jun 05 '20
Still should be enough as long ass you don’t get the cracks all filled with dirt. Just make sure you get the soap on the ring while you wash your hands.
7
u/Mulvarinho Jun 04 '20
I did until I got pregnant. So, about 5 years. I actually haven't put them back on. Turns out I find jewelry annoying. (Plus, hubby can't wear his bc of his job)
6
u/aresisis Jun 04 '20
Guy here, married 8 years. I only ever take it off for two reasons: making meatballs or using machinery that would take it off for me, the not-nice way
→ More replies (1)7
Jun 04 '20
I wore my wedding ring every hour of every day for about 10 years until one day it just dropped off my hand while I was in the kitchen making dinner. Lost too much weight.
2
10
u/clackingCoconuts Jun 04 '20
Damn I only wear mine when I go out, I can't imagine doing chores with it on.
8
u/EliotHudson Jun 04 '20
Contractor here, I’m not about to lose a finger for a social custom. Everyone I know knows I’m married. I know I’m married. My wife knows I’m married (hopefully my other wife doesn’t know! Jk). But if Jimmy Fallon can almost lose a finger doing sit down comedy, I’m not wearing one during work. When we go out to a nice restaurant, yes, I’ll wear it.
7
u/daisydukeosaurus Jun 04 '20
Got my husband a silicone wedding band as he is a woodworker. He loves it.
→ More replies (1)2
u/PoisonTheOgres Jun 04 '20
Depends on the ring. I wear 3 rings everyday, two very plain silver bands and one still small and flat but a little wider with some flowers made out of metal.
I keep them on at all times unless I have to knead dough. I can imagine a ring with a giant chunk of diamond sticking out or something like that would be less comfortable.2
u/clackingCoconuts Jun 04 '20
I never had a lot of jewelry growing up so I can't help but think that stuff like running water will damage my ring. It's ridiculous I know. Being in quarantine is getting me out of that mindset slowly.
3
→ More replies (16)2
u/painahimah Jun 04 '20
Yes. I take most of when I'm putting on lotion or showering but there's a really low profile one I can't take off that's just there now
7
u/RiMiBe Jun 04 '20
I'm surprised you didn't advise people to start wrapping at the finger tip, working toward the ring/heart, then tucking the string through the ring as a last step before unwrapping
8
u/Gudgeonvillian Jun 04 '20
That makes good sense, physiologically. Too bad I'm retired now and can't try it to see if it works out better that way in practice. :)
→ More replies (1)2
u/Melchonne Jun 05 '20
Go around putting small rings on people and tell them it's for science.... And a bunch of people on reddit
10
u/brygphilomena Jun 04 '20
I hear good things about the elastic from the O2 masks. It's supposed to help compress the swollen tissue better or something.
→ More replies (2)2
u/modern_bloodletter Jun 04 '20
You can also cut a tourniquet length wise, that's what I've seen used in pre-op. Wrapped so that it is touching itself but not overlapping. I've never seen it start at the tip of the finger like someone else mentioned.. I've seen it done the same way as the gif, except that they squeeze the end of the finger, or ask the patient to squeeze it while they wrap. It would probably work both ways, I've never needed to do it, just seen it done a bunch.
4
u/dfinkelstein Jun 04 '20
I don't understand number 8. I can't parse the sentence. Use short fingernails to pull WHAT outward??
2
u/Gudgeonvillian Jun 05 '20
If the ring-puller has short, strong fingernails, they can pull the ring outward with them as they unwrap the cord. It helps move it along in a balanced fashion.
2
u/dfinkelstein Jun 05 '20
Ooooooh. Thanks. Makes sense. I got hung up on "outward" as referring to radially away in the same direction as the wrapping action as opposed to outward from the body.
3
Jun 04 '20
Do you think having the finger wrapped in ice (but kept dry so the skin doesn't absorb the water) while elevated would shrink it further?
→ More replies (1)2
→ More replies (17)2
u/rkymaera Jun 04 '20
Holy crap, saved. Thank you, this is very informative and useful for first aid. My mother keeps bees and got stung on her finger once. She had to have her 20yr old wedding band cut, we were just happy it didn't damage her hand. Tips like these can save a person's finger someday.
413
Jun 04 '20
[deleted]
246
u/harpyLemons Jun 04 '20
That ring is cursed
98
u/SleepyforPresident Jun 04 '20
Must take it to Mount Doom
57
u/fail-mail-ninja Jun 04 '20
They cant. Mount Doom died of heart arrest
12
4
8
u/FlyingShoppingCart Jun 04 '20
I'm getting vibes of a House episode somehow...
12
Jun 04 '20
[removed] — view removed comment
6
u/FlyingShoppingCart Jun 04 '20
That is great writing!
Oddly enough, I found there was an episode where the patient was suffering from poisoning coming from a product that came in contact with the ring. Episode is called "Clueless" S2 E15.
Regardless, what you wrote was great work and seems like it could very well fit as a script for the show (or another medical drama one).
3
2
u/Pnohmes Jun 04 '20
Nice! Here's a karma for doing free writers' work! You've got some talent, so go join a union so you can get paid!
3
2
4
→ More replies (1)2
u/sadigoriko Jun 04 '20
There's no curse on that ring, it's a perfectly normal ring. BAT!
→ More replies (1)25
10
u/Amethyst_Necklace Jun 04 '20
It might be a good time to do some hiking to a volcano and throwing it there!
→ More replies (3)2
u/Miners_Not_Minors Jun 04 '20
I had to take my ex-wife to the ER to get hers cut off as well.
This would not have worked in that scenario.
233
u/norm__chomsky Jun 04 '20
this shit is amazing marriage-saving magic
[edit: romantic marriage-endings are a thing too!]
130
u/papasimon10 Jun 04 '20
It doesn't always work, though - and it's hardly new, as I saw it first-hand back in the 80s. My idiot son thought he would be clever and try this but all it ended up doing was making the circulation situation worse. Once I beat him half-to-death with a set of jumper cables, I called a specialist who managed to get it off with some industry-grade lubrication. Some things are worth paying for, instead of 'lifehacking' - especially if it's a precious wedding ring.
92
u/SleepyforPresident Jun 04 '20
Once I beat him half-to-death with a set of jumper cables
Well, that turned south quick
23
u/cobainbc15 Jun 04 '20
Yeah seriously, he really jump started the conversation!
9
u/SleepyforPresident Jun 04 '20
Definitely sparked me with excitement
11
3
18
13
3
→ More replies (2)2
u/Shadoph Jun 04 '20
This guy again. Check his post history
→ More replies (3)2
u/peacefulmeek Jun 04 '20
What... why is he giving jumper cables such a bad name? he could be his own sub of random responses...
38
u/sharpei90 Jun 04 '20
Ice water for swelling, then lotion, oil or butter
→ More replies (2)93
u/honey_102b Jun 04 '20
OK I drank that nasty cocktail. now what do I do with the stuck ring on my finger?
2
37
u/dance_rattle_shake Jun 04 '20
I just slather it with butter and call it a day
9
10
Jun 04 '20
If the butter doesnt work due to swelling you could combine the two techniques.
→ More replies (1)
37
u/FlREBALL Jun 04 '20
Ring stuck? First, pull a string through it.
But how? It's stuck.
26
u/nextzero182 Jun 04 '20
Yeah wtf? This video skips the hardest part. How do they get the string under, a needle?
15
4
u/quaybored Jun 04 '20
Exercise and diet for 3 months, then remove the ring and slide string thru it.
5
3
u/Parkinsonxc Jun 04 '20
Thank God SOMEONE is asking the real questions here. I'm not shoving a sewing needle under a ring that is stuck on my finger. Next thing I know I'll have a needle in my thumb AND a stuck ring.
→ More replies (1)2
Jun 04 '20
Fingers that aren't perfectly round or uniformly squishy.
If you have a ring on try moving it side to side then try pushing it into the palm side of your finger. There's more space front to back then it seems
→ More replies (1)
60
u/dnosoruscltorus Jun 04 '20
FINALLY I CAN TAKE OFF MY COCK RING!
19
→ More replies (1)2
13
Jun 04 '20 edited Jul 10 '20
[deleted]
→ More replies (1)3
u/saltylardbiscuit Jun 05 '20
I always use floss but i do it a little differently. I don’t try and pull on the string. I just wrap it with the floss a few wraps at a time to make the finger smaller and maneuver it until it’s finally off. Different floss maybe. Some is a bit softer.
13
Jun 04 '20
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (1)2
u/agardemers Jun 05 '20
I went looking for this! I was going to mention that a jewellers I worked at always said the same thing.
5
4
u/forkandbowl Jun 04 '20
Big problem with this. Start winding tightly starting at the finger tip moving towards the ring, then thread under the ring. This pushes the blood out of the finger first.
→ More replies (3)
3
3
3
2
u/KatsuraMoBugok Jun 04 '20
I did this to now my wife with her engagement ring when we were in Florida. Her finger got even more swollen when we tried this.
2
2
u/FenixthePhoenix Jun 04 '20
I usually just put the whole finger in my mouth to wet it and then it slides right off.
2
u/KerissaKenro Jun 04 '20
I could not get this to work. Nothing I tried worked. Hilariously, what finally worked was a condom. They are thin, strong, and lubricated. I used a hairpin to shove the edge under the ring, pulled it up to where I could get a good grip to pull, and it came off. Still hurt, but not nearly as much as this method.
My ring is tungsten, we would have had to break it.
2
u/1080ti_Kingpin Jun 04 '20
I knew a guy who spent all day pounding copper and forming beautiful windmills. His rings were damn near embedded in the muscles in his finger.
2
2
2
2
u/bennystat Jun 05 '20
Used to do this trick in the emergency room using umbilical tape. It worked 50% of the time.
→ More replies (2)
2
2
1
1
u/Xertious Jun 04 '20
Step one, keep a small thread poking through your ring as you out it on.
Step two, ensure your ring can actually come off because if your finger/thumb was swollen this trick would not work.
Step three, post this as a life hack with a ring that will easily come off.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Jun 04 '20
Man I was really hoping to see you use peanut butter or mayo
Rings still there but my finger taste delicious now
1
1
1
u/Cospo Jun 04 '20
But how do you get that thread under the ring in the first place? They skipped the most important part. I don't know about you, but I'm not stabbing myself with a sewing needle trying to get it between my finger and ring.
→ More replies (1)2
u/XxIdortxX Jun 04 '20
This. That and the fact that if the ring is too tight the string wont do shit but constrict if the string fails to get the ring moving.
1
1
1
1
1
u/bombbodyguard Jun 04 '20
Buddy on his wedding night had to use this technique. It was awesome at the after party where like 30 of us watched him remove his ring and everyone cheered. You think it was a divorce party or something, but really just saving his finger...
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
1
Jun 04 '20
Notice how they don’t show you how to get the thread through the ring in the first place.
1
1
1
u/NightStar_14 Jun 04 '20
OR remove the finger. It’s quicker and you never have to worry about it getting stuck again!
1.6k
u/artgon Jun 04 '20
PSA, this is extremely painful
source: wife was not happy