My kids came home from school last week saying that their science teacher claimed that hair continues to grow after death. This didn’t pass my credibility test so I did some internet research.

The kids may have misunderstood Ms. Science Teacher, because Ms. Google (who’s never wrong, right?) says that such belief is a myth. What’s more accurate, apparently, is that the skin dries and shrinks thereby creating the perception that hair continues to grow.

In any event, during my surfing I stumbled across a number of sites on the science of embalming. One item was if particular interest: it turns out that embalmers routinely shave faces of the deceased (women and children as well) due to the above mentioned skin shrinking effect.

A morbid thought, I know, but how ironic is it that our last shave on this earth just very well may be made by a complete stranger who in all likelihood will use the loathed disposable razor?