Skin + Nails growing after death!

stereo_steve

I was watching Enterprise , about two weeks ago. The episode where they were stuck in the Shuttle pod and they thought that Enterprise had been destroyed.

Anyway, they knew they were about to run out of oxygen and one of them started shaving because he wanted to look nice when his body was found! But the other guy says don't bother, your nails and hair continue to grow for a while after you die!

I had heard that before somewhere but assumed that it wasn't true!

So my question is, is it true and if so what causes it? Also for how long?

Gordon

Freaky huh?! Yes it's true but I'm not sure for how long. Probably only a week or two but enough to make a difference in your looks. I don't know exactly why, I guess some extremities store energy and work off their own time system.

A horrible thing that I've never heard luckily is the death groan. After death there is still some air left in the lungs and if the body is moved it will let out a :GGgggrrooooaaaan: sound, just like he did when he was alive and snoring...

eeeeoooowwww;)

koneko

The skin on your hands pulls back and then it appears as if the nails were growing after death. I'd imagine it's the same with hair (something happens to the skin)?
Or so I heard.

The_Conductor

Hmmm- your hair follicles produce keratin as a by-product (i.e. hair) while actively removing impurities and a small quantity of nutrients from your circulation (one of the reasons that heavy metals and other nasties can gather in hair- beware any would be poisioners!)
Death does not necessarily produce an immediate inertia in the activities of follicles (both hair and nail follicles), both of which may continue to produce hair or nail for a short period of time. Normally this will cease after 2-3 days. This is why morticians often have to shave corpses prior to viewings etc., regardless of the previous lack of a 5-O-Clock shadow.

Hope this helps.

Meh

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhairgrow.html

Hair and fingernails aren't actually growing. Dead is dead. The only things growing after you're dead are worms, bacteria, and flowers. What is happening, however, is that the skin around the hair and fingernails will desiccate (i.e., lose water) and thereby shrink. When the skin shrinks, it retracts, making hair and fingernails look longer, as if they'd grown.

Think of it this way: a fifty foot tree grows in ten feet of swamp water. The visible part of the tree is 40' tall. A few months later, a drought causes the water level to drop five feet. Now the visible part of the tree is 45' tall. Did the tree grow in a drought? No, but you can see why people would think it did.

stereo_steve

Interesting! I would like to hear the death groan though! Provided it wasn't anyone I knew and I was expecting it! Thanks for all the info!

The_Conductor

Your attempting to say that all we are experiencing is a different perception of that which has not changed. I disagree. While I seem to be able to find ample internet sites supporting your statement- I can also find a few supporting my hypothesis- e.g.

http://hepatitis-central.com/hcv/glossary/M.html

Apparently those on Methionine supplements (often prescribed to those suffering various forms of hepatitis among other ailments) have been known to experience post mortal hair and nail growth.

I do accept that in the vast bulk of cases this does not occur, but as always there are exceptions. Also- the internet, when used as a tool of science, as any imperfect science experiment, can prove absolutely anything.

sic: "Methionine is a principle supplier of sulfur which prevents disorders of the hair, skin and nails; helps lower cholesterol levels by increasing the liver's production of lecithin; reduces liver fat and protects the kidneys; is a natural chelating agent for heavy metals; regulates the formation of ammonia and creates ammonia-free urine which reduces bladder irritation, influences hair follicles & promotes hair growth"

The_Conductor

Also as a forester, I'd love to know the name of a single tree that grows to 50 feet with 10 feet submerged in water......
Have just had a quick hunt in Hamilton, can't see anything......
Bad choice for your example!