How to Safely Remove a Stuck Ring with Dental Floss
You may be able to avoid having a stuck ring cut off by using the dental floss ring removal hack: thread floss under the ring, wrap it tightly up past the knuckle to compress the swollen finger, then unwind it from the hand side so the ring rides off. It needs no special tools, and paramedics and jewelers use the same trick.
Why Do Rings Get Stuck?
Rings get stuck when your fingers swell. You slip on a ring in the morning, and by the end of the day your hands are slightly swollen from the heat, salty food, or a long hike, and the ring won't budge. Panic sets in, and you run to the sink to try soap, lotion, or even butter. When those fail, a favorite band can feel like a tiny, shiny handcuff, and heading to urgent care to have it cut off starts to sound like the only option.
What Do You Need for the Dental Floss Method?
All you need is a standard spool of dental floss from your bathroom cabinet. The slick, thin nature of the floss makes it a good tool for compressing the swollen tissue and guiding the ring off smoothly.
How Do You Remove a Ring with Dental Floss?
Follow these four steps:
- Thread the Floss: Take a piece of dental floss about 12 to 15 inches long. Carefully slide one end of the floss under the stuck ring, moving from the fingertip side down toward your hand. Leave a small tail (about 2 inches) sticking out on the hand-side of the ring. If it is really tight, you might need to use a toothpick or a bobby pin to gently push the floss underneath.
- Wrap the Finger: Take the long end of the floss that is pointing toward your fingertip. Wrap it tightly around your swollen finger, moving from the top edge of the ring all the way up past your knuckle. Keep the wraps close together to create a tight, compressed coil. This wrapping squeezes the swollen tissue down, temporarily reducing the size of your finger.
- Unwind to Release: Once your finger is wrapped past the knuckle, grab the short 2-inch tail of floss on the hand-side of the ring. Hold it firmly and begin unwinding it, pulling the floss up toward your fingertip.
- Slide It Off: As you unwind the floss from the bottom, the ring can ride up the coil of floss and slide over the compressed knuckle. The floss essentially acts like a tiny conveyor belt pushing the ring forward.
What If the Ring Still Won't Come Off?
Don't force it to the point of injuring your finger. If the floss method doesn't work, or your finger is painful or changing color, get medical help; urgent care can cut the ring off safely. For an ordinary stuck ring, though, a piece of dental floss is a simple first step and a handy piece of everyday first-aid knowledge to keep in your back pocket.
