A surface reforming method capable of efficiently carrying out a sustainable, even reforming treatment on a prescribed surface part of an element, a surface treatment liquid to be employed for the above-described method, and an element having a reformed surface treated by the above-described method. A part of the surface of an element is subjected to the reforming treatment by providing the object surface with a polymer, which is different from a constituent material of the objet surface and comprises a first part having a functional group and a second part having an interfacial energy different from that of the functional group and approximately equal to the surface energy of the object surface and orienting the second part of the polymer toward the object surface and orienting the first part in a direction different from the object surface.