Why You Should Take Your Ring Off (Sometimes)
When couples pick up their rings, I often hear them say they don't plan on ever taking them off again. I get it—you're excited! But we recommend taking your ring off at least every night. Here's why.
Your Skin Needs to Breathe
The skin under your ring needs air to stay healthy. This is especially true for wider bands and tighter-fitting rings. If you don't take your ring off regularly, the skin can start to turn white (like when you wear a Band-Aid for a while), then eventually turn red and peel.
A lot of people think this is an allergy to the metal, but it's often actually caused by moisture being trapped under the ring.
Prevent Getting It Stuck
Another reason to take your ring off every night is to prevent it from getting stuck on your finger. Fingers tend to swell quite a bit while you sleep (and when you fly), and wearing a ring can cut off circulation. If a ring is a little on the tight side, wearing it while you sleep is when it's most likely to get stuck.
Also, if you never take your ring off, you may not notice if your ring size has changed. By taking it off regularly, you're more likely to notice if your finger has gotten bigger, allowing you the opportunity to get your ring resized before it becomes too small. I hear stories all the time from couples who have a parent that didn't take their wedding ring off for 30 years and eventually had to have the ring cut off because it no longer fit properly.
When to Take Your Ring Off
During physical activities: Take your ring off when doing anything that could damage the ring or your hand, like moving furniture, rock climbing, lifting weights, or gardening.
Swimming: Always take your ring off before going swimming. This is the most common way people lose their rings. Besides the risk of losing it in the water, chlorine is corrosive to gold, so you never want to wear it in a swimming pool or hot tub.
When NOT to take it off: I don't recommend taking your ring off to wash your hands in a public bathroom. It's very common for people to lose their ring that way. They take it off and put it on the side of the sink, then it either falls into the drain, or they forget it and leave it there. Just wash your hands with the ring on, then slide it forward to dry your finger under the ring, then push it back into place.
Safe Storage
When you do take it off, have a safe place to store it whenever it's not on your finger. A ring dish or box on the nightstand or dresser is an excellent place to keep your ring. That way, you can get in the habit of putting it there each night when you take it off. And if you need to take it off for other reasons, you'll have a place where it lives.
Our Magic Ring Holder Necklaces are also great for storing your ring when you need to take it off when you're out in the world. With these, you can easily slip the ring onto the necklace without having to remove the chain. They're perfect for temporarily storing your ring while doing things like baking or flying on a plane.
