Past research has indicated the feasibility of regenerating old, degraded fingerprints. The development of a regeneration process could very well revolutionize the world of forensic science since the problem of degraded fingerprints has left many cases unsolved. Moreover, regeneration processes have not been extensively studied; thus, not much is known about degraded prints or their characteristics. This project has attempted to provide some answers about old prints and what distinct qualities they possess at the atomic and/or molecular level. Surface analyses of aged, both untreated and treated (cyanoacrylate-fumed), fingerprints were used to gain a better understanding of the surface characteristics and hopefully the composition of degraded prints. The investigation included aging prints for various amounts of time and imaging parts of them using atomic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Only lipid-based (oily) prints were used in this study. Using these microscopic techniques to explore the state of fingerprints at an atomic or near-atomic level will result in the development of new processes, such as the acetic acid-doped method, for revitalizing old, degraded prints.