# Do Fingernail & Toenails Still Grow After Death?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-fingernail-toenails-still-grow-after-death/150853>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 25, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-fingernail-toenails-still-grow-after-death/150853 "2003-01-25T13:15:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PixieStix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de0a6/32.png) [@PixieStix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PixieStix)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-fingernail-toenails-still-grow-after-death/150853/1 "2003-01-25T13:15:03Z")

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I’ve read stories on how explorers and scientists find mummys  
with long nails. Does this mean they still grow?

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**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-fingernail-toenails-still-grow-after-death/150853/2 "2003-01-25T13:30:32Z")

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No.

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**Author:** ![PixieStix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de0a6/32.png) [@PixieStix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PixieStix)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-fingernail-toenails-still-grow-after-death/150853/3 "2003-01-25T13:33:55Z")

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Then What Really happens?

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**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-fingernail-toenails-still-grow-after-death/150853/4 "2003-01-25T13:48:48Z")

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My WAG is that when the flehy parts of the fingers dry up they shrink, which makes it look like the nails have grown.

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**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-fingernail-toenails-still-grow-after-death/150853/5 "2003-01-25T13:52:52Z")

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Or, the writers of the stories thought it would be more interesting to work in an old folklorish detail.

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**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-fingernail-toenails-still-grow-after-death/150853/6 "2003-01-25T13:54:29Z")

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SD Staff report [Do hair and nails continue to grow after death?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhairgrow.html)

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**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-fingernail-toenails-still-grow-after-death/150853/7 "2003-01-25T21:18:34Z")

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Welcome to the boards Pixiestix.

Might I suggest preforming searches first thru the SD staff reports where Lsura pointed to a nice answer to your question.

Or use the search feature, where you will find this:

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59027&highlight=fingernails+death](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59027&highlight=fingernails+death)

Where stupendous man answers the question.

Or here  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=48322&highlight=fingernails+death](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=48322&highlight=fingernails+death)

Once again Stup answers the question

Stu fell asleep at the wheel and missed answering the same question Here:  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10042&highlight=fingernails+death](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10042&highlight=fingernails+death)

Here again Stu missed out, yet Kamandi saves the day  
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=124972&highlight=fingernails+death](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=124972&highlight=fingernails+death)  
welcome to the boards, now that the hampsters are happy search functions are your friend 🙂