Horn petrification

For Solarians, horns are basically like jewellery - they are a show of ego. To them, the petrification is a very important occurrence which they need to prepare for, carefully trimming and getting the perfect look for their horns. They like them long and attention-grabbing, often sacrificing comfort for the sake of prideful appearance. This condition of old age is a certain point of elderly maturity, one they want to emphasise. This is completely different in the case of the Thalassians, who consider petrification to be just a bit of a nuisance, usually trimming their horns considerably so they don't weight down on their heads when they harden. As you can clearly see, there is a big cultural gap here for the Ethnis. dr Aart van Apeldoorn

Causes

Old age is the primary factor in the occurrence of horn petrification. As the organism slows down it begins to lose its ability to regenerate efficiently. Because of this, horn growth is stopped to save energy and nutrients that otherwise would be diverted to it.

Symptoms

The horns halt their growth completely and the colour becomes significantly more toned down, sometimes even bleached. Their surface becomes extremely hard, making it dangerous and impractical to trim anymore. Dents can also appear in the structure, as during hardening the horns compact slightly.

Treatment

There is no effective long-term treatment, simply due to the fact, there is no real cure for growing old. Horn petrification is an entirely natural condition that simply is bound to happen eventually. Ways to slow down the process exist, namely medicine containing keratin and other proteins, though these only prolong the inevitable. They are most often used in cases where someone wishes to still refine their horns and the process of petrification has already begun.

Prognosis

Petrification begins roughly around the age of 80 and most commonly lasts for a month. Before the process begins, horn growth stops, which can be already observed two weeks before. In the beginning, the area around the base of the horn will slightly ache as the horn will slightly contract on the entire length. This usually lasts 3 to 4 days. After this is done, the surface begins to harden and lose its original colours. The process is done when the colour remains the same for at least a week.

Origin

Natural

It's just a part of the cycle of life. Did you try to avoid your first teeth showing up? No, of course not, because it's just how life goes. The same goes for this. Taith to a Solarian friend about petrification