Ring avulsion injuries are not extremely common, but they happen enough that it’s important to understand what they are, and what can put you at a higher risk of suffering from this type of injury. Knowing more about ring avulsion injuries can help you answer the question, “how do you stop ring avulsion?” 

What is a Ring Avulsion Injury?

A ring avulsion injury occurs when you are wearing a ring and the ring causes specific injury by getting forcefully pulled off of your finger. Generally a ring avulsion injury happens when the ring itself gets caught on something, and the force of your body’s weight pulling against that ring makes it tear off. 

A ring avulsion injury can occur in a lot of different ways. Some of the most common are: 

• At work – people who wear metal rings to their workplace are often at a higher risk of this type of injury. That is especially true for workplaces where you use your hands for manual labor, or where there is a lot of heavy equipment. Many of the most high-risk workplaces actually prohibit employees from wearing metal rings to protect against the risk of injury. 

• During manual labor activities – even basic yard work and other activities around your house can put you at higher risk of getting a ring avulsion injury. Working with power tools, climbing ladders, or doing yardwork can make it more likely that your ring will get caught on something and pulled off your finger. 

• Working out – gyms are a place where you should never wear a metal ring. Many people prefer to wear their ring while working out to avoid getting hit on, but having a metal ring on can significantly increase the chance that it gets caught on a barbell, piece of equipment, or even just a piece of clothing. When you’re doing high-intensity exercises that can be enough to cause injury. 

• Outdoor activities – another place to keep your metal ring away from is any type of outdoor activity where you are moving your body or using equipment. Things like rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, camping, cycling, sailing, and similar activities can all increase the chances that you suffer from an injury that could be devastating. 

• Everyday life – unfortunately you don’t need to be doing anything risky to get a ring avulsion injury. In very rare situations it can even happen just day to day. Late-night television host Jimmy Fallon famously suffered a ring avulsion injury when he tripped in his house and his ring got caught on a piece of furniture. He was lucky to avoid major injury but had to wear a cast and bandages for several weeks while it healed.

People who wear a metal ring are at the highest risk of developing a ring avulsion injury for one very simple reason: metal rings are not designed to break. When your metal ring gets caught on something and there is enough force to pull on the ring, it will not break. Instead, your finger – which is far more delicate – will bear the brunt of that force. 

What Kinds of Injuries Does Ring Avulsion Cause?

The range of injuries can go from mild bruising and discomfort to far more severe. In the mildest cases, your ring will be pulled forcefully from your finger and could leave some bruises where it caused damage to your finger tissues. In the medium range you might suffer from some ligament tears and muscle damage as the ring is pulled from your finger. 

In the most severe injuries, a ring avulsion could actually cause what is known in the medical field as a “traumatic amputation.” This means that your ring is pulled from your finger forcefully enough or at an angle that causes the ring to actually remove your whole finger. This type of injury is extremely painful and damaging, and can leave you permanently disfigured or disabled for the rest of your life. 

How Can You Avoid Ring Avulsion Injury? 

If you read all the information above and want to make sure you take all the necessary steps to avoid this kind of injury in the future, you are not alone. Millions of people are looking for ways to safely wear a ring without risking injury, and the good news is that there are options. The first option is to just not wear a ring, but for many people that is not a suitable choice. You want to be able to wear your ring as a symbol of love and commitment, so simply going without a ring isn’t ideal. 

The other option – and for many people the best one – is to replace your metal wedding ring or your metal fashion rings with a silicone ring. Silicone wedding rings and fashion rings are made of silicone rubber instead of a precious metal. The benefit for injuries is that your ring is now stretchy, and if enough force is applied it will break. Your ring will suffer the brunt of the damage in this type of accident instead of your finger (although depending on the accident you may still have a little bit of bruising).  

These rings also come in a wide range of colors and styles so you can get the one that perfectly matches your personality and your outfits, which is an added bonus. Silicone rings have become the go-to ring for people who want something they can safely wear anywhere they go. They come in so many colors and styles that you can find one for any occasion. Plus they’re super comfortable. So comfortable that you might just forego that metal ring entirely. 

Shop the collections at Enso Rings today to see all the styles you can choose from and avoid ring avulsion injury risks in the future.