It’s a myth. Our hair and nails do not continue to grow after we die. The notion isn’t unreasonable, however. After death, a decomposing body can create that illusion.
When we are alive, our bodies produce new cells that make our hair and nails grow. Hair tends to grow about 10.5 mm, or nearly a half-inch, a month. Fingernails and toenails grow about 3.47 mm and 1.62 mm a month, respectively.
“On average, it would take about six months to replace an entire fingernail if you lost it and a year to a year and a half to replace a toenail,” said Shari Lipner, an associate professor of clinical dermatology and the director of the nail division at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.
But the moment we take our last breath, our cells start to die — and our bodies are no longer able to produce new ones.
The reason it may appear to the contrary is because, after death, desiccation and dehydration cause the skin on the head and around the nails to dry up and retract, making hair and nails appear longer and, therefore, as if they are growing.
“We see decomposition beginning within several minutes after death,” said Emily Rancourt, associate director of the forensic science program at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
Within 24 to 72 hours, internal organs begin to break down. After several weeks, teeth, hair and nails may start to fall out, assuming a body is not embalmed, said Rancourt, who is also co-associate director of the university’s forensic science research and training laboratory, known as the body farm.
What else you should know
Morticians can delay — and help counteract — the body’s decomposition process through embalming. During embalming, the blood is drained from the body and replaced with a solution containing preservatives such as formaldehyde.
Other chemicals may be added, such as lanolin in cases in which the person was severely dehydrated upon death, and pink dyes can help restore a warmer appearance, said Cecilia Obermeier, licensed funeral director and admissions director at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science.
A thick lotion is then applied to the skin before the cosmetics to help prevent dehydration during the viewing, she said.
In one case, Rancourt said, she witnessed an exhumation of an embalmed body that still had flesh on the bones 44 years after burial.
The bottom line
Hair and nails do not keep growing after death. But during the decomposition process, the body becomes dehydrated and the skin on the head and around the nails pulls away, creating the illusion of continued growth.
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