After death, the body stops producing new cells, causing hair and nails to grow longer as some people mistakenly believe.
In the novel “All Quiet on the Western Front”, author Erich Maria Remarque imagined that after people die, fingernails continue to grow to the point of twisting. hair will also grow “like grass on fertile soil”. However, this is just a fantasy.
Before official research, many people mistakenly believed that hair and nails continued to grow after people died. In fact, the body stops producing new cells after death, meaning hair and nails cannot grow longer.
While alive, the body produces new cells that help hair and nails grow. Hair usually grows about 10.5 mm per month. Fingernails and toenails grow about 3.47 mm and 1.62 mm per month, respectively.
“On average, fingernails take about 6 months to grow back if completely lost, and toenails take a year and a half,” said Shari Lipner, associate professor of clinical dermatology, director of Weill Cornell Medicine, USA.
However, as soon as a person takes their last breath, cells begin to die and the body is no longer able to produce new cells. The phenomenon of hair and nails appearing to grow longer after death is due to the scalp and surrounding nails drying out and shrinking due to dehydration, creating the illusion of hair and nails growing.
After death, hair and nails cannot grow longer. Image: iStock
According to Emily Rancourt, associate director of the forensic science program at George Mason University, decomposition begins within minutes of death. Between 24 and 72 hours, internal organs begin to rot. After a few weeks, teeth, hair and nails begin to fall out.
The mummification process can slow down and help prevent the body’s decomposition. In it, blood is drawn and replaced with a solution containing preservatives such as formaldehyde. Cecilia Obermeier, a funeral director and director of admissions at the Pittsburgh Institute of Embalming Sciences, said the specialist may add other substances, such as lanolin in cases where the deceased is severely dehydrated, and dyes. Pink can help restore a warmer appearance.
They then apply a thick lotion and makeup to help prevent dehydration during the shroud process. Rancourt said she witnessed one case of the exhumation of an embalmed body that still had flesh on its bones 44 years after burial.
In short, hair and nails do not continue to grow after death. The loss of water during decomposition causes the skin to shrink, creating the illusion of longer hair and nails.