Does anyone really get tan lines from their wedding ring?

August 31, 2023 2:27 PM

It's a TV show cliche, and I've run into it in books as well: the guy takes off his wedding ring and hits the bar, but the lady he tries to pick up declines because of his wedding-ring tan line. Is this even possible?

I currently have a farmer's tan, and a tan line under my watch band, but I have never seen a tan line under my wedding ring. Are any of you currently sporting such a tan line?

posted by The corpse in the library to Media & Arts (32 answers total)

I'm not sure if there's a tan line (but my hands aren't especially tanned) but there's definitely a noticeable indent because my ring is fairly tight and I very rarely take it off because it's hard to get over the knuckle.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:31 PM on August 31, 2023 [9 favorites]

Tan line and indent, yes.
posted by probably not that Karen Blair at 2:32 PM on August 31, 2023 [20 favorites]

Currently am sporting both a tan line, and a borderline worrying indent.
posted by furnace.heart at 2:33 PM on August 31, 2023 [7 favorites]

Response by poster: Huh! I don't think I've ever had an AskMe so clearly answered, so quickly! Thank you, and I will stop grumbling on FanFare when this cliche shows up.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:34 PM on August 31, 2023 [3 favorites]

My husband gets a stark tan line under his ring. He wears a silicone ring with a flat edge. I don't get one, I wear a thinner silicone ring with a beveled edge. We're both white people who are in the sun a lot and tan strongly. Maybe it's all down to ring type?
posted by Guess What at 2:34 PM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

Married 21 years, you can definitely see the mark of rings from a lack of sun and a small dent. I got a new ring last year because the original ring was threatening to make a much bigger issue with dents.
posted by advicepig at 2:35 PM on August 31, 2023

I do not have a tan line and wear my ring all the time. My husband takes his ring off at night, he does have a tan line. So if you have a tan line, yes to wearing a ring. If you don't have a tan line - maybe yes, maybe no.
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 2:43 PM on August 31, 2023

Yep, tan line and indent.
posted by erst at 2:52 PM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

I was being hit on by a random guy once who was acting suspicious and kept his left hand hidden. I asked to see his left hand and sure enough, super obvious tan line from a ring. He at least had the decency to look chagrined and walked away. So yes. Some people get tan lines from rings.
posted by CleverClover at 2:58 PM on August 31, 2023 [5 favorites]

Spouse had a tan line and indent. He tans easily. But no longer wears a ring for comfort reasons. I wear a simple band, no tan lines but but indent that takes a couple weeks to go away (kept if off after surgery a few times). I don't tan easily. Both of us are marked for life with finger tattoos anyway.
posted by Crystalinne at 3:15 PM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

No wedding ring but I do get startlingly well-defined tanlines. When I wear sandals with thin (as thin or thinner than a lot of wedding rings for men, certainly) straps you can clearly see the pattern on my feet well into October or November. The straps are ~2-3mm or thinner nylon cords, so not flat against my skin, either.
posted by pullayup at 3:24 PM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

I've got both the tan line and indent where my ring usually goes.

I've got funny tan lines all over though. Farmer's tan on my arms except for where my watch is. Tanned legs from the mid-thigh down. Tanned feet except for the area under my sandal straps. My face is starting to show a difference between the area behind my sunglasses and the rest of it. I can't see the back of my neck but I'm pretty sure there's a fairly definitive line there too. And the tans don't really go away, it'll be the end of winter and my feet will still have those tan lines on them.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 3:38 PM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

It occurs, but like other psychosomatic disorders, the degree depends substantially on the amount of guilt and internal conflict being suppressed.
posted by Clyde Mnestra at 4:03 PM on August 31, 2023 [7 favorites]

Indent yes, tan line no. At least on my husband. My finger has wasted away around my wedding ring so it is easily 1.5 sizes less than my ring finger on my right hand.
posted by tafetta, darling! at 4:04 PM on August 31, 2023

+1 tan line and indent that both took a few months to disappear fully after I divorced. But, my ring was 7mm / 1/4" wide so even with routine jostling and shifting around on my finger, some portion of skin was going to be covered.
posted by LionIndex at 4:16 PM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

When I was married, I got a noticeable tan line. I had the line for 3 months after we separated.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 4:28 PM on August 31, 2023

Tan line, serious indent.
posted by kevinbelt at 4:43 PM on August 31, 2023

Tanline.
posted by chasles at 5:05 PM on August 31, 2023

+1 tan line and indent
posted by mrphancy at 5:07 PM on August 31, 2023

I think men's wedding bands are often a little wider than women's; might have something to do with the trope and why it doesn't happen to you.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:24 PM on August 31, 2023 [3 favorites]

Haven't worn my rings in a couple of years. since I lost one that just fell off somewhere. But yes, I got tan lines and indents when I was wearing them. Also feet when I spent every summer just wearing flip flops.
posted by Windopaene at 5:36 PM on August 31, 2023

absolutely I get tan lines from my rings. I get very sharp tan lines all over the place.
posted by fingersandtoes at 5:40 PM on August 31, 2023

Very faint tan line depending on how much sun I've gotten, and always definite indent. My ring sits somewhat loose though and often gets turned around so sun can hit those parts of my finger depending on how it's sitting. So I'm agreeing with the opinion that it depends on ring type. For a further example, I've gotten tan lines from a heavy pendant, but never gotten one from a light necklace.
posted by Saucy Possum at 5:55 PM on August 31, 2023

Divorced 10 years, still see the indent.
posted by jennstra at 8:18 PM on August 31, 2023

Tanned and indented, after >25 years married.
posted by StrawberryPie at 8:55 PM on August 31, 2023

I work outdoors nearly everyday and have a tanline and indent for my ring... Married nearly 17 years.
posted by drezdn at 10:12 PM on August 31, 2023 [1 favorite]

Married for seven years. No tan line, but a noticeable indent.
posted by june_dodecahedron at 12:41 AM on September 1, 2023

Yes, when I was married I used to have a tan line around my ring if I'd been outdoors longer than an hour at a time within the prior week (and I'm a brown person!).
posted by MiraK at 3:25 AM on September 1, 2023

tan line, indent, and a lovely callus on my palm just below the ring (my ring is fairly wide, plain gold)
posted by nkknkk at 6:09 AM on September 1, 2023

If you have larger knuckles and therefore your ring is a bit loose on your finger, you're less likely to see a sharp tan line because the ring is shifting around (ask me how I know)
posted by ananci at 7:31 AM on September 1, 2023

I had a strong tan line there for a while. (Not currently, I've been exercising outdoors without wearing it after nearly losing it in the pool.)
posted by TheophileEscargot at 7:46 PM on September 2, 2023

Married 2.5 years (first time, so never worn a ring there before) and I have a noticeable indent and quite a clear tan line.
posted by dg at 7:17 PM on September 3, 2023