Our hands are incredibly important when it comes to work responsibilities, home chores and performing other daily tasks. But the significance of our hands extends way beyond that. We use them to communicate, regulate our body temperature and receive sensory feedback through touching. While it may not be the first thing people think about when they lose part or all of their hand, the loss of certain cultural rituals can be devastating.

Our patient Angie, pictured below, lost part of her right hand during an accident in a side-by-side, which is similar to an ATV. After being fit with Point Designs' digits, our Portland prosthetic care center connected her with that company’s team. We saw how enthusiastic she was about her devices, and Point Designs saw that, too. Angie is now an ambassador for the company, going around to various conferences and speaking with fellow amputees. It is this position that has allowed her to gain insight on many of the psychological impacts that partial and total hand loss can have on individuals. We spoke with Angie in February of 2025: “I recently met two young women with partial hand loss, left hands. They were both down in the dumps because, when it came time for it, they wouldn’t be able to wear a wedding ring. Emotionally, people may have a hard time with this, because it’s just something they’ve assumed they’ll do their whole life, and then that’s taken away from them.”

Angie Lott

Additionally, everyday confidence boosters like having a manicure or painting your fingernails goes out the window. There are passive silicone restorations, like the one shown in the photo below, and these devices can have nails that look permanently painted. But not having the ability to change the color of nail polish can inhibit people’s expression of themselves. Some silicone can handle being nail polish and polish remover  be sure to speak with your prosthetist. There are also nail polish stickers, though, again, ask.

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Diana's right arm is a passive silicone restoration

Hands are also used to communicate, to draw attention to oneself and to flirt. Missing all or part of a hand sometimes leads to people hiding that limb when they interact with others.

Not feeling confident enough or feeling less-than can be devastating in the wake of an amputation. What can be done to get to a place where someone with a limb difference can feel more positive about their body image?

Some of it is time. Some of it can be positive feedback from others. Our patient Ashley, pictured below, lost her index finger in a workplace accident. She spoke about her boyfriend and family. “One thing that really helped was my boyfriend, who kept telling me my hand is beautiful. That helped my self-esteem. Or my dad, he said, ‘Oh, I don’t even notice.' My dad was the first person to say that, and it made me cry happy tears.”

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Seeing other people especially women if you’re a woman  who wear their prosthesis, can help a lot. Because hand amputations are so rare, they aren’t seen very often on TV or in movies. Meeting fellow amputees and learning more about why they choose their device, not just for the function, but for the looks, can go a long way. That is one of the reasons we offer peer support.

Finding a prosthesis that works functionally and aesthetically can help as well. Sometimes that takes a while. Our center patient coordinator, Cindy at our Minnesota center, tells a story about a woman who had lost one finger. After the amputation, all she wanted to do was fit in that was her most important goal, so she asked for a cosmetic restoration silicone finger. But with time, she realized a body-powered finger would be more functional. “I remember she wanted it to be purple because, she said, ‘It’s just me.’”

For some, getting comfortable with their limb difference can take years. For others, less time. “With my prosthesis on,” Angie told us, “I feel a huge confidence boost. I absolutely love wearing it.” Angie enjoys her device so much, her Instagram name is @bionicangie. “I love talking to people that want to start a conversation, and ask questions about my prosthesis. When my wedding day came, I felt a total sense of pride to wear it on my big day.” As for Ashley, she has both a passive positional device, like Angie’s, and a hand protector for when she’s not wearing it. “The skin where my finger was amputated is so sensitive. My prosthetic team made me a hand protector — it’s soft silicone and I love it. I’m a big flannel fan, and I love the colors pink and yellow, so they made me a pink and yellow flannel design. Brianne, the prosthetic assistant who helps create the devices at our Minnesota center even made me a ring to go with it.”

Ashley Passive Silicone Protector

We hope your device is something that brings you joy or that is noticed in positive ways by other people. Whatever it is, we hope you’re in the right headspace to lean into that joy and follow it.

If you or someone you know is interested in receiving holistic prosthetic care for an upper limb difference, please contact us. Our upper limb specialists have seen thousands of patients and fielded hundreds of special requests. Our centers love welcoming new patients and watching their confidence grow with time and support.

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