Do Your Hair And Fingernails Keep Growing After You Die?
After death, a body slowly loses moisture, causing the skin to dry and pull away from nails and hair. This process exposes the previously hidden nail beds and hair shafts, and makes it look as though the corpse's nails and hair have grown. Funeral homes offset this process by administering moisturizer to the dead.
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Key Facts In This Video
After death, the human body becomes dehydrated, which causes the skin to retract around the hair and nails. (0:21)
Gut bacteria keep breaking down food even after their host body has died. (1:19)
Even after the heart and lungs stop working, the brain can continue to pull nutrients and oxygen from the body. (1:56)