As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

Wedding ring hygeine

DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
edited October 2011 in Help / Advice Forum
Hi guys,

Recently got married. Yay!

One brief question.

We've been married since the 18th September.

On my wedding finger, underneath where I wear the ring, the skin is quite dry and flaky. It has been white underneath there, as if there was no bloodflow to that specific bit of the finger. The rest of my finger feels fine. There is no pain or discomfort at all. I took the ring off for a couple hours and the skin returned to normal pink colour, though it remained noticeably dry.

Is this something I should be worried about? The ring doesn't feel too tight, although I do have to turn it slightly to get it off - it won't come off if I just pull, which is the way I thought it was meant to be so that it could not come off accidentally. Should I get it resized up half a size?

Cheers

EDIT: I do wash frequently under the ring, obviously. I take it off whenever in the shower and wash underneath it, then put it back on.

EDIT2: To clarify, when I say dry and flaky, it is not really flaky in the sense of dandruff or something, but more dry in the sense that its kind of like healing sunburn where the skin seems to want to peel a little.

Dhalphir on

Posts

  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    It is either too tight or you're having a reaction. I'm thinking the former.

    Bring it to a jeweler and ask them to size you.

    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    Yeah, guess would be a reaction. What's the metal - gold?

    It should be tight enough that it won't fly off if you wave, but should come off with a little tug.

  • Anarchy Rules!Anarchy Rules! Registered User regular
    It's not unknown, and is in fact fairly common to react to impurities within gold or silver jewellery. The easiest way to combat this is to either stop wearing the ring, or to use clear nail varnish on the underside of the ring to act as a barrier between the impurities (typically nickel) and your skin.

  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    It's not unknown, and is in fact fairly common to react to impurities within gold or silver jewellery. The easiest way to combat this is to either stop wearing the ring, or to use clear nail varnish on the underside of the ring to act as a barrier between the impurities (typically nickel) and your skin.
    Yeah, nickel allergies are hella common. I see the same reaction under my watch.

  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    Yeah, should add to my comment it's probably not the gold (or silver) but the other 'filler' metals like nickel.

  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    From your description, it also sounds like it's too tight. That certainly won't help if you're also reacting to the alloy.

    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    I've had the ring back on now for three days after only keeping it off for a couple hours total and the dryness is starting to abate and the skin is not white at all.

    The area of skin sort of looks like a healed sunburn. A few bits of a little bit of skin yet to peel off, but pink healthy skin everywhere else.

    I was figuring I should at least enquire about a resizing, but the ring has already been resized once when we were first about to get married, and that is the size that felt the best. I remember going one half size up felt slightly too loose, like I'd be a bit worried.

    And as I said earlier, it is not actually uncomfortable to wear, it feels perfect and snug.

    I'm thinking it might be something more along the lines of that reaction to the nickel.

  • SkeithSkeith Registered User regular
    IANAD, but I'd put money on it being a nickel allergy. My mom's skin would do the same thing if she wore a watch that didn't have a leather band under the back plate.

    aTBDrQE.jpg
  • FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    Dhal, your finger is going to shrink and swell according to the temperature. If your ring is snug at room temperature, it might be way too tight in hotter weather or when exercising.

    When I go running, my ring is impossible to take off, but normally it's fairly easy. In really cold weather (hand out the car window on the hwy, for example), it could easily fall off if I gave it a few shakes.

    I could be wrong, but I don't think it is supposed to be snug normally.

    XBL : Figment3 · SteamID : Figment
  • mtsmts Dr. Robot King Registered User regular
    edited October 2011
    snugness is a preference. as long as you can get it off, its "probably" not too tight. i prefer mine on the looser end

    i actually had to send my ring back after i first got t in. i was sized when i first ordered it, but couldn't even realy get it on when i tried it on after it came in, let alone where it for extended amounts of time.

    things like hydration levels play a huge role in correct size. i ended up needing something like a size and a half larger ring then i initially ordered

    mts on
    camo_sig.png
  • TabooPhantasyTabooPhantasy Registered User regular
    I have had this problem with my ring (it's made from palladium). I work in a store that sells handmade soaps and lotions and as such constantly have my hands in water. I started having a very similar problem (except my skin was actually starting to crack).
    I found that making sure to take my ring off when washing my hands and making sure that my skin is totally dry before putting the ring back on helps. I would also take it off at night to let the skin get some air.
    At this point, I don't even wear my ring at work anymore. I am too worried about setting it down somewhere and forgetting it. I wear it when I have a day off or if I'm going out after work (unless it's to eat buffalo wings).

    ~Taboo
    BH11Fnk.png
  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    Have you worn a lot of jewelry in the past, particularly rings? It may be sized right, and you may not have any allergies... it may just be your skin getting used to wearing a ring. My finger was dry and flaky, as you say, for the first couple months after I started wearing my band. After that it was fine.

    WiiU: Windrunner ; Guild Wars 2: Shadowfire.3940 ; PSN: Bradcopter
  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    I've never worn rings for an extended period of time, and never on that finger before.

  • mellestadmellestad Registered User regular
    Yea, if the ring is too tight your finger would turn red above the ring and the ring would be very difficult to remove...if it isn't ever doing that, the ring isn't too tight. I'd say it's a minor allergic reaction.

    Even if it was too tight, that wouldn't cause redness where the ring actually sits. (Unless it was so tight your finger fell off, but then you'd probably be able to figure that one out on your own :P )

  • ArbitraryDescriptorArbitraryDescriptor changed Registered User regular
    I found that making sure to take my ring off when washing my hands and making sure that my skin is totally dry before putting the ring back on helps. I would also take it off at night to let the skin get some air.

    These, although I don't take it off at night. Instead I just tend to fidget with it at work, shifting it up my finger a bit now and then to let it breathe. I got the same thing you describe with a cheap watch (years ago), and when I first got my ring. My skin just doesn't like getting smothered, and a little moisture underneath doesn't help. (My ring also traps moisture in it's little facets like fremen still-suit)

  • DhalphirDhalphir don't you open that trapdoor you're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
    alright guys thanks so much for your help. i'll leave it as is for a couple months, see if its just my skin getting used to the ring, if it persists longer i'll look into it being an allergy. I think we can rule out needing to resize it.

Sign In or Register to comment.