What would you think if I told you everyone grows forever? This was investigated after graves were opened and hair and nails were found that had appeared to grow while in the casket. One thing many people did not cosider was the possibility that the corpse's head and hands could have shrunk due to dehydration, resulting in the skin to shrink back on the corpse which allows more hair and nails to appear on the outside of the body. The general population was easily persuaded in 1959, when Vincent Price's character's nails and hair continued to grow after he died in The Tingler. Tough the thoughts of dehydration have spread around to many scientists and doctors, who continue to believe it is possible for hair and nails can continue to grow after death.
Among these scientists and doctors are George M. Gould and Walter L Pyle who believe the growth of hair and fingernails can occur even after a person dies! They exclaim there have been records of changed hair color, the length of hair, and the length of the finger nails of the corpse. Gould and Pyle write about a corpse “whose hair protruded at the points where the joints of the coffin had given away. The fair of the head measured 18 inches, that of the beard eight inches” (Postmortem Anomalies). On the other hand, some scientists and doctors, like Alan Gunn, do not believe it is possible for hair and nails to grow after one is dead. Gunn claims, “When someone’s heart stops pumping blood around their body, the tissues and cells are deprived of oxygen and rapidly begin to die,” which would not allow hair and nails to continue to grow (Essential Forensic Biology).
Though many people have believed hair and nails could grow on a corpse, it is not true. Dehydration shrinks the body, not the nails or hair, so it appears as if the hair and nails grow after the person is dead. In Alan Gunn’s book “Essential Forensic Biology”, Gunn explains how the “shrinkage of the skin can make it seem as though [hair and nails grow]” (Essential Forensic Biology). Though some of the population continues to believe nails and hair can grow on a corpse, it is impossible. Though it is portrayed that it could happen, due to the dehydrated body of the corpse.
6 comments:
I've never actually thought about this before, but I thought this was interesting. It seems like it would be impossible to grow hair and nails after you die. I agree that if the heart stops pumping blood how could anything grow? If it were true that hair and nails grew after death then why would just the hair and nails grow? This is an interesting topic. Good job.
I had never heard of this occurring before now, and it seems logical that it wouldn't be possible. I did have one question though, you said that their had been clams about the hair changing colors, was that true of false?
Thats really interesting. I had always been told that hair and nails grew after death. Though, it makes sense that nothing would grow after the heart stops pumping blood. If your hair did change colors, what color does it change to? I also agree with Maddie. This makes sense that they do not grow because, why wouldnt anything else grow? Really interesting article, good job Emily!
Cassie, it was never said why the hair changed color which was one of the reasons the scientists believed that it was possible, because it was not explainable!
I've heard that the hair grows after death by "superstition" and gossip, but never actually thought about it. All I can say is, it seems like common sense that the hair and nails cannot grow after death. Very interesante. Muy bien.
First of all thats nasty, just to think about that your hair and nails can grow after death. I've heard of this kind of thing before, but they stop after the flesh erodes. This is one of those myths that anyone can understand and anyone can have an honest opinion about. But it was a really good blog.
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