Do Hair And Nails Continue To Grow After Death?

What Happens To Fingernails And Hair After A Person Dies

Jun 19, 2009

It is a common belief that hair and nails continue to grow after death, and while humans will continue to have a morbid curiosity with the dead, is it fact or fallacy?

While creepy facts about death are fascinating, it is important to sort out fact from fiction. Here is a brief overview of the structure and function of hair and nails, and what happens to them after death occurs.

An Overview Of Hair And Hair Follicles

Hair covers the skin and the root of hairs sit in follicles in the dermis. Blood is supplied to the hair and follicle via a papilla. Each hair follicle has a muscle attached called an erector pili which makes the hair stand erect to provide insulation when it is cold. To read more about this physiological adaptation in humans and other animals see Why Do Humans And Animals Get Goosebumps.

Although hair color is genetically determined, melanin is responsible for providing hair color. Hair tends to turn gray or white with age as there is less melanin being produced. All hair falls out gradually and is replaced by new hair. There are approximately 100,000 hair follicles on the human scalp. Hair grows approximately 13 millimeters per month.

An Overview Of Nails

The purpose of nails is to protect the sensitive tips of fingers and toes. Nails are composed of keratin, which is a tough fibrous protein. The visible part of the nail is composed of dead cells and the root of the nail (at the base of nail), is the only part with living cells. The root is where nail growth begins. When keratin is deposited in cells at the root, and these cells die off, they become part of the nail that is visible.

The lunula is a thickened area of nail and appears as a white half-moon shape. This thickened lunula prevents underlying blood vessels from showing. The rest of the nail can appear pink due to the abundant blood vessels underneath.

When the skin of the fingers and toes meet the nail, there is a fold of skin known as the eponychium, or cuticle. The purpose of the cuticle is to seal off and protect the area as the nail grows. Fingernails generally grow at a rate of approximately 2 inches per year. Toenail growth is much slower, at about half the rate of fingernails.

Do The Nails And Hair Continue To Grow After Death?

It is a common misconception that nails and hair continue to grow after death. Neither hair nor nails keep growing once the human or animal has died. It is an optical illusion. What actually happens is after the body dies, it loses water and moisture and dehydrates, making the skin shrink around the skull and skeleton. As this happens, more hair and nails are exposed and make it appear as though they are still growing. Funeral workers will moisturize the body with creams to compensate for this dehydration.

Kruszelnicki, K, 2004, Great Myth Conceptions, ed. Harper Collins Publishers, Sydney, NSW.

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