Stuck Ring on Finger | Platinum, Ceramic & Silicone
Stuck Ring on Finger | Platinum, Ceramic & Silicone
Decades ago, if a patient sought professional help to remove a stuck ring on a finger, chances are the piece of jewelry was either gold or silver. In more recent years, that’s changed. Now rings are made from a variety of materials that traditionally haven’t fit the mold of fine jewelry. Among those include rings made of materials such as platinum, ceramic, and silicon.
Although the materials rings are made of are more diverse than ever, a common theme exists: Rings are designed for a close fit and therefore can become stuck when finger swelling occurs. Common situations include injury to the hand or finger, pregnancy related swelling, even exercise or a salty diet can cause enough finger swelling for a ring to become stuck. Regardless of the ring material, a stuck ring needs to be removed safely and efficiently to relieve the wearers finger.
In this article, we'll look at removing rings made from three aforementioned unique ring materials. We'll explore:
Each ring material & its removal considerations
The easiest ways to remove a stuck ring on a finger
Traditional & advanced ring removal methods & considerations
& Much more
Platinum, Ceramic, and Silicon Rings: Unique Materials, Unique Removal Challenges
You don’t have to be a jeweler to know that rings these days come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. In other words, gold and silver rings are now but two options in a much broader selection of materials for rings.
And, as materials that rings are made of are not all the same, the considerations for how you remove them when they become stuck on a finger can vary greatly if you don’t have proper tools on hand.
What does this mean for rings made of platinum, ceramic, and silicon? Let's take a ring-by-ring look at each.
Platinum Finger Rings
Platinum is often sought for fine jewelry, especially for engagement and wedding rings, for several reasons:
Its durability, dense nature, hardness (comparable to iron), and resistance to corrosion make it resilient for jewelry wear, maintaining its condition over time. The metal's natural white shine does not tarnish, and it’s hypoallergenic, which could also make it a preferred option for individuals with sensitive skin.
Despite its higher cost, its long-lasting beauty and minimal maintenance often make it a favored choice for those seeking quality and elegance in their jewelry.
Removal Challenges: Because of platinum's high density and strength relative to gold and silver, it is more resistant to traditional ring cutting tools which were designed for softer metals. Many other modern ring materials are even harder than Platinum, including stainless steel, titanium and tungsten carbide. Fortunately, modern tools like the Ring Rescue Dolphin Ring Cutter are able to safely and easily cut all of these metals in cases of ring entrapment, including platinum, titanium, and tungsten.
Ceramic Finger Rings
Typically made from titanium carbide, ceramic rings offer a modern twist on traditional ring materials. Lightweight and with a smooth, glossy finish, ceramic rings come in a variety of colors, making them popular among those looking for jewelry with a unique, personalized look. It's hypoallergenic, which may make it a good option for those with metal allergies.
Ceramic finger rings are very hard and resistant to scratches, comparable to tungsten. However, unlike metals that can bend, ceramic's hardness makes it brittle, meaning it may crack or shatter if subjected to a sharp impact.
Removal Challenges: If a ceramic ring becomes stuck, it cannot be cut with a traditional manual ring cutter like soft metal rings can. Rather, it requires proper purpose-built tools that can safely cut through it. The Dolphin Ring Cutter is a great option for this type of ring.
Image: A Ceramic ring cut by the Ring Rescue Dolphin Ring Cutter safely, in minutes.
Silicone Finger Rings
A newer material for rings, silicone rings are soft and flexible, allowing for a comfortable fit that adapts to various finger sizes and shapes.
The flexibility of silicone finger rings make them popular for hands-on professionals, particularly among healthcare workers, electricians, mechanics, and workers in other industrial settings. Silicone rings may not offer the elegance and allure of metallic rings, but they may be preferable in environments where wearing a metallic ring could pose a safety hazard.
Removal Challenges: This one is a little different – these rings do not have the same stuck ring issues as do rigid metal rings. Put simply, if stretching the ring or using lubrication to slide it off of the finger doesn’t work, a standard pair of medical grade scissors should suffice.
How to Remove a Ring That’s Stuck on a Finger | 2 Options for Easy Removal
When a ring becomes stuck on a finger – regardless of the materials it's made from or the reason it's stuck in the first place – two things take priority: removing it safely and quickly.
The two tools comprising the Ring Rescue Kit – the Dolphin Ring Cutter & the Compression Device – bridge that gap.
The Dolphin Ring Cutter is sophisticated yet easy to use, providing an efficient and safe method for removing stuck rings. It is able to cut through the toughest metals on the planet (even titanium & tungsten carbide) with ease. This ring cutter cleanly slices through virtually any ring by a single operator, safely in minutes.
The Dolphin Ring Cutter has an integrated finger guard to protect the finger while also firmly securing the ring during cutting. It features the AssureCUT Disc for a precision cut, and Ring Lubricant is used on the cutting disc to facilitate the most efficient cutting process. The Dolphin Ring Cutter is automated - the operator simply pulls the trigger and the internal computer analyzes and controls the rate of the ring cut to avoid the ring getting hot, ensuring patient safety.
The Compression Device is simple and elegant. The cuff is placed onto the swollen finger and then inflated with air pressure, comfortably compressing the area around the stuck ring. This action displaces the swelling, temporarily shrinking the finger. After 5 minutes of compression, the cuff is deflated and removed, and with a skinnier finger, attempts at removing the ring are more likely to be successful.
One of the key benefits? This method of ring removal does not damage the ring while freeing it from the finger, which is great for sentimental and expensive rings.
Should ring cutting be required from a very swollen finger, the Compression Device can also reduce swelling first, which improves the ease of application of the Dolphin Ring Cutter finger guard.
Now Outdated Stuck Ring Removal Methods
Whether you’re a first responder or someone working in an emergency department, by the time you see someone with a stuck ring on their finger, they’ve probably already tried to remove it. Aggressive removal attempts often make the swelling worse when unsuccessful.
With modern ring styles being resistant to traditional ring cutter tools, improvised methods using repurposed hardware store tools were sometimes used for ring removal. However, medical standards exists for good reason, and fingers are important! For patient safety reasons, it is crucial to use appropriate medical tools for procedures including ring entrapment. Fortunately, purpose-built medical devices, designed for this specific challenge are now available with the Ring Rescue Kit. It’s best to avoid legacy non-medical strategies that can cause harm to the finger.
Non-Destructive Ring Removal Methods
| Method | How It Works | Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Soap and Water | Soap and water are used as lubricants to make the skin and ring slippery, allowing the ring to slide off in some cases. | This is a reasonable method and soap can be an effective lubricant for minimally stuck rings. However, it's best to be gentle. Excessive and forceful manipulation of the ring may cause discomfort and worsen finger swelling. |
| Other Lubricants (Oil, Lotion) | Oils or lotions are applied around and under the ring to reduce friction to help slide the ring over the knuckle. | Similar to soap, other skin-safe lubricants are a reasonable strategy to assist ring removal. However, lubricants don't reduce swelling and many tend to absorb into the finger, slightly increasing finger size, which may work against you in ring removal. Avoid forceful ring manipulation which can worsen finger swelling. |
| Cold Water/Ice and Finger Elevation | Cold water or ice is used to reduce finger swelling. The finger is submerged in cold water or wrapped with an ice pack, ideally shrinking the finger enough to remove the ring. | While it can reduce some swelling and may work for simple cases, it's effects are temporary, and prolonged cold exposure may be uncomfortable. However, ice and elevate is a reasonable strategy to reduce swelling and may improve success for ring removal attempts. |
Destructive Ring Removal Methods
| Method | How It Works | Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Dremel high speed Rotary Tool | A Dremel-style rotary cutting tool uses a small, high-speed cutting disc, which may be functionally able to to cut through a ring. However, manufacturers of these tools caution against use for medical purposes, as serious personal injury may result. This method is dangerous and highly dependent on user technique and precision as the high-speed spinning disc presents risk of finger burns, lacerations, and other injuries. | The use of a Dremel rotary tool for stuck ring removal is not an acceptable treatment method for stuck rings, especially since medically regulated, purpose-built tools with much better safety and performance are available. Now that the Dolphin Ring Cutter exists, there is no need for hardware store tools to be used in this setting. |
| "Ring Cracker" as a ring cutter | A ring cracker is any device or technique that applies pressure to a ring until it cracks or breaks. These are not regulated medical devices, and lack published evidence of effectiveness or safety. These techniques are intended for specific cases of hard yet brittle ring materials such as tungsten and ceramic. | This technique destroys the ring, making it unrepairable after removal. Cracking a brittle ring under high forces causes sudden material failure, while the ring is stuck on the finger, with the risk of sharp fragments projected outwards, or into the finger, creating a safety risk for patients and caregivers. Misidentifying the ring can lead to crushing onto a finger, instead of cracking. Medical device ring cutters capable of cutting brittle materials (like Tungsten and Ceramic) should be used for ring cutting procedures, instead of improvised methods like this. |
Modern Ring Removal Methods
| Method | How It Works | Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Ring Rescue Compression Device | This registered medical device comfortably reduces finger swelling by using air pressure, similar to a blood pressure cuff. The cuff is placed onto the finger and inflated to compress the area around the stuck ring, displacing swelling and reducing finger size. | With safe, measurable, uniform pressure, this medical device offers your best option for removing a ring non-destructively. The reduced swelling gives professionals the chance to manipulate the ring off of the finger using Ring Lubricant, preserving the ring. |
| Dolphin Ring Cutter | This registerd medical device safely and effectively cuts through even the toughest ring metals, including tungsten and titanium, by a single device operator, in minutes, and without ring heat. | The Dolphin automatically cuts through the ring at a controlled rate that virtually eliminates risk of burns or lacerations for the patient. The precise cut made by the AssureCUT Disc allows the ring to be repaired in many cases. It features an integrated finger guard to protect the finger. |
Considerations for Removing Any Ring Stuck on a Finger
Regardless of what material a ring is made of, some considerations universally apply when trying to remove it when it becomes stuck on a finger:
Skin damage and lacerations — This risk is two-fold, concerning both the potential harm caused by the ring being stuck and the methods used for its removal. For example, pulling a ring forcefully can increase swelling, and can tear the skin or create cuts, especially if the ring has sharp edges or if the skin swells around the band. Attempting ring cutting with risk-prone strategies (such as Dremel-style high-speed rotary tools) is a particularly dangerous approach, whereby heat generated during cutting can lead to finger burns, and sudden loss of tool control can easily occur and lead to significant injuries.
Circulation issues and swelling — A stuck ring can restrict blood flow, irritate the finger, and if left unresolved this can lead to increasing swelling. Prolonged constriction can cause numbness, tingling, or even more severe circulatory problems, making timely and careful removal all the more important. Severe cases of unresolved ring entrapment syndrome have even resulted in finger amputations.
Damage to the ring, loss of sentimental value — Removal techniques that damage the ring beyond repair certainly can affect the financial and sentimental value of the ring.
Reducing Ring Material Concerns for Safer, More Efficient Removal
Removing a stuck ring from a finger is best done by a medical or jewelry professional that uses the most appropriate and safest tools to protect the finger, while also minimizing damage to the ring whenever possible.
But with the right tools, bridging the gaps between all these considerations is now very possible, regardless whether the ring is made from platinum, ceramic, silicone or any other ring metal.
The Tools You Need in One Place
Explore our Ring Rescue Kit!
