• Question: if we keep using phones such as blackberrys and such, could we fade off our fingerprints?

    Asked by vowles1 to Andrew, Bruce, Lindy, Lizzie on 20 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Bruce Alexander

      Bruce Alexander answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      No. The skin will grow back to a certain extent.

      The top layers of skin are essentially dead tissue, so they continually are shed and lost then replaced. If you injure yourself and it effects the top layers of skin, then the fingerprint will come back as the dead tissue is replaced with the next layer.

      If you injure yourself really badly where most of the skin is removed, then the fingerprints will not come back – you are left with a scar.

      Don’t believe what you see in movies like Men in Black!

    • Photo: Lizzie Eaves

      Lizzie Eaves answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      It’s pretty difficult to remove fingerprints – Technology isn’t smart enough to beat evolution just yet!

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