The human race has always been curious about what happens after death. Right from theories about how the soul departs the body to stories of reincarnations, the notions are endless. While there are chances these conceptions might forever remain unproven, science has fetched us a counter theory to one of the most famous myths.
The answer is simple and plain. No, hair and nails can never grow after death and we'll tell you why. Nails and hair follicles require the supply of energy in order to grow in length which is completely curbed as soon as the heart stops working. With the lack of oxygen there is no way the cells are going to multiply which ultimately makes the hair and nails also to lose life.
Have people witnessed a corpse's hair and nails growing?
There are instances where morticians and embalmers claim observing an increase in the length of the nails and stubble over dead men's faces. The fact is that, after death, as a part of the decomposition process, the body dehydrates making the skin to retract. The skin shrinks and creates an illusion making it look like the nails have grown. The same concept applies to a corpse's facial hair. The skin on the face tends to lose its water content resulting in the appearance of stubble on the chin and cheeks.
Where did the theory come from?
This fabricated theory evolved basically from books and movies that portrayed ghosts with super-long nails simply to give the viewer a sense of horror and is completely fictional. These have been believed for ages and even now, after scientific proof, there are people who still believe only what they want to believe.
Whatever it is, now that we know that human hair and nails can never grow after death, it is time to teach our kids some good science and not age-old tales.
