Why Do Snakes Shed Their Skin? Snakes never stop growing but their skin doesn’t grow with them! Instead, they must shed their old, worn outer layer in a process called ecdysis Underneath the old skin, a fresh, new layer has already formed. As the snake grows, the outer skin becomes tight and dull, and even the eye scales turn cloudy, making the snake look in blue. When the new skin is ready, the snake rubs its head against a rough surface to split the old skin, then slowly wriggles out of it tur