One of human evolution's greatest milestones is the hand. It is almost impossible to perform everyday tasks with the utmost efficiency and speed without them. Hands are not just a pair of tools; they have also become a container of identity. Every human being has a special pattern on their fingers that is entirely unique to that person. These patterns are called dermatoglyphs, commonly known as fingerprints.
Fingerprints are a set of curved patterns on the tips of an individual's fingers. The uniqueness of the fingerprints helps distinguish one person from another. In today's world, they are used almost everywhere, from opening bank accounts to unlocking phones, while eliminating the necessity to remember any pin or password. Law enforcement agencies heavily rely on them to identify criminals from crime scenes.
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Do Burns Change Fingerprints?
But this raises an intriguing question: if someone’s hands are burned in an accident, even something as ordinary as a kitchen mishap, do those fingerprints change?
While fingerprints are unique, they are among some of the earliest physiological developments that take place during the early stages in the mother's womb. The patterns of these prints are hugely determined not only by the genetic nature, but also by the fetal position, hand orientation in the fetal stage, gravity, fluid pressure and various other factors. Once the patterns are fully developped they do not change throughout the entire lifetime of that person, but they can be temporarily damaged.
According to Dr Leslie Baumann, fingerprints can be permanently altered in case of severe trauma, for example, a third-degree burn. However, minor burns or small cuts during cooking have very little impact on these patterns. Though these small mishaps do come with some inconveniences. During the healing period after minor burns or small cuts, fingerprint readers may find it hard to identify a match with the previously registered fingerprint model. Depending on the type of damage to the finger, in most of the cases it takes about a month for damaged fingerprints to reappear completely.
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Impossible task of erasing fingerprints
Even though most of the minor accidental cuts or burns lead to quick healing of the fingerprints, some people do try to alter their finger patterns deliberately in an effort to escape law enforcement. As per the FBI Legal Enforcement Bulletin, these individuals do so to prevent law enforcement agencies from identifying them. Turns out that's not right.
A study conducted by the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division recorded a vast altered fingerprint record, which showed a deliberate effort for print alteration. The report also suggests that pattern alteration in fingers using heat, chemicals, or any other method is not enough. It is also possible to examine other fingers or where sufficient print is left in an effort to identify someone.
So, it is almost impossible to erase one's fingermarks, thus making minor kitchen accidents a matter that shouldn't make one too concerned, making them more a matter of wound care.
