 After death , the skin and gums lose fluids and contract , exposing the roots of the hair , nails , and teeth , even teeth that were concealed in the jaw . This can produce the illusion that the hair , nails , and teeth have grown . At a certain stage , the nails fall off and the skin peels away , as reported in the Blagojevich case — the dermis and nail beds emerging underneath were interpreted as " new skin " and " new nails " . 
