How does hair grow after death?

Answer 1

Contrary to popular belief, hair and fingernails do not continue to grow after death. Due to dehydration, the skin retracts away from the base of the hair and nails, which gives the appearance of growth.

Answer 2

Absolutely not ... once your systems are stopped, there is no metabolism, no blood flow, no hormone production etc ... you are gone. Everything stops.

The only reason it was previously thought that they did continue growing was the effect of your skin receding and pulling back, revealing more of the hair and nails. Thus giving the appearance of growth.
No, when you die your skin rots away and when it does it looks like your hair and nails have grown when they really haven't. you need nutrition to grow your hair and nails and...you don't get much of that if your not alive.
No. The reason some people may think this is when you die, your body dries and shrivels a little. Thus, more hair or fingernail is revealed.
No. It's a popular myth that is false. Cells of hair follicles that make hair, and nail matrix that make nails, die along with the rest of the body and are incapable of further growth.

The misconception probably arises from the fact that skin shrinks and retracts a bit after death, making hair and nails appear somewhat longer than before death.

Death isn't an overall, instantaneous thing. Cells will continue to process the nutrients they've recently received until it runs out. Might take a few minutes after the heart has stopped beating. Not enough for any measurable hair or nail growth.

For all practical purposes both hair and fingernails CEASE to grow at death.

It is a common myth that hair and nails continue to grow after death, they do NOT do this it is NOT true.

The current theory is that as the skin and tissues dry out and shrink, a little more of the nails and hair will become visible, giving the appearence of growth.

Pretty much no important amount of time at all. For things to grow, the cells need nutrition and a working blood flow. Dead bodies don't do any of that, so the cells die fairly soon, and with that there's no more growth. (now, to be picky, not all cells die at the exact moment someone has been declared legally dead. And before they do, there might just be a tiny, tiny, tiny amount of growth happening) The current explanation to this idea is that when somebody dies, the skin begins to thin and dry out, changing the features and forcing a little bit more of the hair and nails out in the open, giving the appearence of a little growth.

Answer 3

They don't keep growing. The skin rots away thus appearing that they have grown
They don't. It was previously believed that they did because after death your skin gradually shrinks (a result of moisture loss) and pulls back to reveals more of the hair and nails. Once you are dead, nothing grows.
They don't. The skin around hair and nails lose water and retracts, giving the impresion that the hair ( nail ) has grown.

Answer 4

Yes and No.

Many bodily functions continue for a few minutes after death. Hair growth (as well as finger and toe nails) is one of them. This is because these things are controlled by chemicals in the body, not signals from the brain, and although the heart may have stopped beating, there is still a small amount of growth chemical in each cell. These cells continue to do their jobs until they run of of chemicals to work with.

But in the space of 2 or 3 minutes it will grow by such a small amount as to be unmeasureable!

An interesting side consequence however is what happens several weeks later. Hair and finger/toe nails are embedded deep within the bodily tissues and so as the skin dries out and shrinks, it exposes the roots of the hair and nails and so they appear to have grown longer by up to half a centimeter.

In more superstitious times and places, this was regarded as proof of a vampire.
No they don't. But it is a medical fact that the scalp and other flesh loses water when the body dies, giving hair an appearance that it's grown because of the shrinking of the flesh.
no, the hair dosent grow, but the skin recedes so it appears that the hair and fingernails grow when its water evaporating from the skin making it shrink and pull back.

Pretty much no important amount of time at all.

To make hair, the hair sacs need nutrition and a working blood flow. Dead bodies don't do any of that, so the cells die fairly soon, and with that there's no more growth.

(now, to be picky, skin cells remain "alive" quite a while(say about one hour) after someone has been declared legally dead. And in that time there might just be a tiny, tiny, tiny amount of growth happening)

The current explanation to this idea is that when somebody dies, the skin begins to thin and dry out, changing the features and forcing a little bit more of the hair out in the open, giving the appearence of a little growth.

Pretty much no important amount of time at all.

To make hair, the hair sacs need nutrition and a working blood flow. Dead bodies don't do any of that, so the cells die fairly soon, and with that there's no more growth.

(now, to be picky, skin cells remain "alive" quite a while(say about one hour) after someone has been declared legally dead. And in that time there might just be a tiny, tiny, tiny amount of growth happening)

The current explanation to this idea is that when somebody dies, the skin begins to thin and dry out, changing the features and forcing a little bit more of the hair out in the open, giving the appearence of a little growth.

Answer 5

It doesn't. The skin around the hair shrinks and so the hair (and nails) appear as if they have grown.

It doesn't. The skin around the hair shrinks and so the hair (and nails) appear as if they have grown.

Answer 6

No. Your body loses some water weight which causes the skin to tighten and shrink which may initially look like nails have grown when in fact they have not. Cellular growth ceases shortly after death when nourishment ceases.

Answer 7

strange but yes ... although not noticeably

Answer 8

Fingernails do not grow after death, it is merely the fact that the skin around the fingernail pulls back upon death.

Answer 9

It doesn't. The skin around the hair shrinks and so the hair (and nails) appear as if they have grown.