My finger prosthesis is uncomfortable and I rarely wear it. What should I check?
If you had a finger prosthesis made but hardly wear it, start by checking four things: the fit against your affected area, a hollow interior, the pressure and the skin tone. A custom silicone finger prosthesis — cast precisely from your affected area, with the empty space filled with silicone — can make a real difference to comfort. Results vary from person to person.
Where it was made matters less than whether it fits you
There are many routes to a finger prosthesis. Some people are referred by the hospital that treated them, some compare providers and choose one themselves, and people injured at work may have one made through workplace injury insurance or employer support. Whichever route you took, the real question is the same: was it made to fit your affected area?
A finger is small, but its prosthesis goes through the same steps as a full hand — casting, skin-tone matching and fitting. Fingertips are sensitive and quickly become sore under repeated pressure or rubbing, and hands are always on show, so colour, nail shape, thickness and creases are all noticed.
Which four things should I check?
| Check | What goes wrong | How a custom fit handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | It does not sit against the affected area, twists or slips off | The socket is shaped from a cast of your affected area |
| Interior | It is hollow, so it does not support the finger | The missing part is filled with silicone to hold the finger securely |
| Pressure | Too tight and the tip hurts, or too loose | Tender spots are checked and pressure is balanced |
| Colour and shape | The colour stands out and proportions look wrong | Moulded from your other hand; skin tone measured digitally with E-SKIN |
A prosthesis that does not fit tends to be worn for shorter and shorter periods until it ends up in a drawer. That is why comfort over a full day matters as much as a natural look.
How one customer’s remake went
One of our customers injured a finger at work and had a prosthesis made by a provider linked to the hospital where they had surgery. It did not sit against the affected area, and because it was hollow inside it gave the finger no support. The colour did not match either, so it had barely been worn.
We started with the pain that remained at the fingertip. After casting the affected area, we filled the empty space with silicone so the prosthesis held the finger securely, and balanced the pressure so the pain would not get worse. What our customer mentioned before anything else was not the look, but that it felt far more comfortable than before.
We should be honest about one thing too. Surgical scarring had left the tip of the affected finger slightly darker than the skin around it, and that shade showed through a little through the prosthesis. Even with digital skin-tone matching, differences like this can remain depending on the affected area.
A cosmetic finger and a work finger, made together
With partial support from their employer, our customer also had a work finger made alongside the cosmetic silicone prosthesis. A work finger has fewer fine details but is firmer, for everyday tasks such as office work where the hand is used constantly.
Injured at work? What to prepare
In Korea, people injured at work often look into industrial accident compensation insurance (known as sanjae) or employer support; elsewhere, similar workplace schemes may apply. Whether support is available, and how much, depends on how the accident happened, the diagnosis and your employer, so check with the relevant body before you start. Tell us your situation during the consultation and we will plan the work around it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I wear a finger prosthesis if my fingertip is still painful?
Yes. We need to know where it hurts and how sensitive it is to pressure so we can build that into the design, so please tell us in detail during your consultation.
How closely can you match my skin tone?
We measure your skin tone digitally with E-SKIN (SPECTROMATCH, UK) and mix custom pigments. If the tip of your affected area is darker or the skin differs, some difference may still show.
My prosthesis was made elsewhere and is uncomfortable. Can you make a new one?
Yes. Tell us what feels wrong and send photos of your affected area, and we will look at the causes with you and suggest a direction for a custom remake.
I was injured at work. Can I get support for the cost?
It depends on how the accident happened, your diagnosis and your employer. Check with the relevant insurer or employer, then share the details with us so we can plan around them.
