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The macabre visions of the dead with long, twisted nails, tangled hair and male stubble haunt many inquisitive people. Meanwhile, this phenomenon is not really what it seems. What’s more – it has its medical justification.
- When we look at the body of a deceased person, it may seem that after death his nails got elongated and his hair grew. However, this view is only an illusion
- This sensation is due to the fact that after death, the human skin dries up and shrinks, making its products, such as hair, nails or beard stubble, appear longer and more visible.
- The human body dies gradually, individual cells “turn off” at different rates. Research on the dying process is of great importance for transplantology
- More information can be found on the TvoiLokony home page
What Happens in the Body After Death?
Individual cells in the body die at different rates. When the heart stops beating, the oxygen supply to the brain is cut off. Without it and glucose stores, nerve cells die within minutes. The time it takes for various parts of the human body to die is of great importance from the point of view of transplantation. Kidneys, livers, and hearts should be harvested from deceased donors within thirty minutes of death and delivered to recipients within six hours. Meanwhile, skin cells live longer. Transplants can still be successful even if they are started 12 hours after the donor has died.
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- The phenomenon of “life after death”. What does science say about it?
Human body after death. New cells are essential
However, just because the skin is suitable for transplant for such a long time does not mean that new cells are being produced. And this is essential for nails and hair to grow. The belief that they can lengthen after a person’s death is a myth resulting from misreading what we see.
Fingernails grow about 0,15 mm per day, while fingernails grow almost twice as slowly. In order for the body to grow, it has to produce new cells, and this cannot happen after death. The layer of tissue beneath the base of the nail, called the embryonic matrix, is responsible for producing the vast majority of the cells that make up the newest growing part of the nail. New cells push older cells forward, making the nail appear to extend from the tip.
- Our brain does not die with the body. What happens to him after he dies?
A similar process occurs with hair. Each hair is in a hair follicle that drives its growth. At the base of the hair follicle is the hair matrix – a group of cells that divide to produce new cells. These cells divide very quickly, but only when they are energized. This is due to the burning of glucose, which requires the presence of oxygen. When the heart stops pumping oxygen into the blood through the body, the energy supply dries up, thereby ceasing the cell division that drives hair growth.
- What happens to a corpse in a hospital? An identifier and a special capsule
The skin dries out and shrinks after death
So why do myths persist about growing hair and nails after death? While these observations are false, they are biological in origin. It’s not that the nails grow, but that the skin around them recedes as it becomes dehydrated, making them appear longer. When preparing the body, funeral directors sometimes moisten their fingertips to counteract this.
The skin on the deceased’s head or chin also dries out, receding towards the skull, making the stubble appear more visible.
Also read:
- Change to soap, squeaks and excretions. This is how our body behaves after death
- She died, but her cells are alive. The amazing story of “immortal” Henrietta Lacks
- How Do You Know When Death Is Coming? «Very often the patient is not ready»
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