How to Fix Deformed Hands in AI Images

The "Spaghetti Fingers" Problem

Why does AI struggle with hands? Because hands are complex geometry. They have many joints, can be in infinite poses, and often occlude themselves. To an AI, a hand is just a blob of flesh-colored pixels that usually appear near arms. But you can fix them.

Method 1: Inpainting (The Standard Way)

Most tools (Stable Diffusion, Adobe Firefly, Midjourney Vary Region) have an "Inpaint" feature.
1. Mask the bad hand.
2. Set the prompt to simply "hand" or "detailed hand."
3. Generate variations until you get a lucky roll.
Tip: Mask a larger area than just the hand; include the wrist and part of the arm so the AI understands the context/angle.

Method 2: ControlNet (The Pro Way)

If you are using Stable Diffusion, ControlNet is the ultimate fix.
1. Take a photo of your own hand in the desired pose.
2. Upload it to ControlNet with the "OpenPose" or "Depth" model.
3. Run the generation again. The AI will be forced to follow the bone structure of your reference photo, guaranteeing the correct number of fingers.

Method 3: Photoshop Composite (The Artist Way)

Sometimes AI just won't cooperate. The fastest fix can be manual.
1. Find a stock photo of a hand in the right pose.
2. Paste it over the AI image in Photoshop.
3. Use "Generative Fill" or manual blending to match the lighting and skin tone.
Don't be afraid to mix manual art with AI!

Method 4: Negative Prompts

Always include "bad hands, missing fingers, extra digit, fewer digits, mutated hands" in your negative prompt. It doesn't solve it 100%, but it reduces the frequency of errors.