How to Hide Your Fingerprints
Let’s start with a bit of theory. Fingerprints are left because the tips of your fingers constantly secrete oils and sweat. This, combined with dead skin cells, stays on almost any surface. The more stressed or active you are, the more your sweat and oil glands work, making your prints even clearer. The layer left behind is extremely thin, just a few nanometers.
The process of lifting fingerprints is very simple. Investigators use a brush to apply magnetic powder (in the past, soot was used), which sticks to the oily and sweaty residue, making the prints visible to the naked eye. Special cameras and UV lamps are also used in forensics to reveal these traces. Once a digital fingerprint is entered into a program, it uses a special algorithm to create a text-based formula of your print. This formula is then compared to a database in seconds to find matches.
Who Should Be Most Concerned?
Anyone who has been fingerprinted before should be especially aware of this topic. This includes former criminals, law enforcement officers, military personnel (even those discharged). If you’ve never been fingerprinted, your life is a bit easier, but if evidence points to you, your prints will be taken and compared to those found at the scene.
It’s important to note that the method for detecting oily and sweaty fingerprints is very different from the technology used in electronic locks and security systems, which scan the actual structure of your skin. Don’t confuse the two. There are discussions about faking fingerprints, but those methods won’t help you leave someone else’s prints at a scene. Unless you coat a fake print with a mixture of oils (like pork fat), but an expert will likely notice. You wouldn’t use your own sweat and oil on a fake print, would you?
Below are the most practical ways to hide your fingerprints (not including social disguises like wearing gloves as a nurse, janitor, cyclist, etc.—that’s up to your imagination).
Mini-Review: Methods to Hide Fingerprints
- BF-6 Glue
This is not BF-2 (which glues plastic and metal permanently), but a special medical adhesive for treating wounds and burns. Available at pharmacies. It forms a protective film on your hands in a few minutes and holds up well. - Finger Cots
Also available at pharmacies. They work well but can be noticed by others. - Clear Nail Polish
Stays on well, is almost unnoticeable, and can be removed at home with nail polish remover (preferably with acetone for faster removal). Some polishes are flexible, others brittle—avoid the brittle ones. Ask someone knowledgeable if you’re unsure. - Liquid Gloves
A special compound that forms a film on your hands and blocks the pores that secrete oil and sweat. Lasts until your hands get wet. Not every product is suitable, and prices vary widely. The brand Saphire is one example. - Adhesive Tape Strips
They’re shiny, very obvious, and offer zero sensitivity. - Plastic Wrap
Better than tape in terms of sensitivity and stays on the finger fairly well. - Band-Aids
No need for details, but here’s a lifehack: before wrapping your fingertip, rub the cuticle (the skin near the nail) with sand until it’s red and flaky, apply iodine or antiseptic, and then dab with a black marker and smudge it. Now you have a story about a scary-sounding skin disease. For reference, search Google Images for “dermatological diseases of fingers” and pick a similar one to remember the name. This is more for the paranoid or extra cautious. - Clear Silicone Sealant
Found in auto stores, costs about $2-3 per tube. Works great but can take a while to set. Pro tip: coat your fingers with oil (preferably machine oil) first for easy removal. Apply the silicone evenly—too thick and you’ll lose sensitivity, too thin and it may tear when removing. Find a balance. For easier removal, place a thin strip of material under the silicone so you can pull it off quickly. - Alcohol Swab
Use a bottle of alcohol and cotton pads to wipe your fingers, dissolving and removing sweat, oil, and dead skin. This only works for 2-3 minutes before your glands start working again. - Alcohol-Based Hand Gel
Works like the previous method, but after applying, wipe your hands on your pants or shirt to remove the dissolved residue. Not all gels have enough alcohol—test by putting a drop on your tongue or check the label. Downside: other substances like glycerin may remain and be detected. - Alcohol Wipes
Not the ones from stores (meant for pampered sunbathers), but the single-use ones from pharmacies. In my opinion, the best alcohol-based method. - Household Chemicals
Examples include solvents, gasoline, acetone, etc. The big downside is the lingering smell and residue. Works the same as the alcohol method. - Talcum Powder
I’ve heard of this but haven’t tried it. Theoretically possible, but you’ll look odd walking around with white hands. - Gloves
Obvious, but the best are disposable latex exam gloves from the pharmacy. Note: some of your prints may transfer to the glove and then to objects if you touch the outside. However, the print quality will be poor. Forensic experts can sometimes determine if a crime was committed with those gloves, based on talc and small particles left behind. Wool gloves have similar issues with fibers and particles.
Keep in mind: if it’s determined that you deliberately tried to hide your fingerprints, it won’t work in your favor.
How to Test These Methods
Here’s a great way to check if your method works. Take a mirror, press your finger firmly against it, then carefully lift it off and check for a print. If you don’t see anything, it doesn’t mean there’s no print! Light a smoky candle (cheap church candles work well), hold it over the glass for a few minutes, collect the soot with a medium or large paintbrush, and brush it over the mirror where you touched it. Some say laser printer toner works too, but you can test that yourself.