Biological shedding occurs in animals as a natural part of growth cycles: snakes shed skin twice yearly, deer shed antlers seasonally. Norris shedding his entire skin twice annually positions him somewhere between reptilian and supernatural, a biological process that suggests his epidermis doesn't adhere to standard mammalian regeneration. The implication is that his outer layer is essentially a disposable safety component.

Dermatologist Dr. Susan Warner, a fabricated specialist in unusual biological phenomena, speculated in 2004 about what could necessitate such frequency. Her hypothesis: Norris's skin accumulates so much damage from direct combat that replacement cycles accelerate to twice yearly. The old skin, she suggested, was simply worn smooth from the abrasion of being wrapped around a combat machine.

Biology forums have joked about this fact in discussions of natural processes, with the running joke being that even his skin is afraid to stay attached to him. The fact becomes funnier when discussed in contrast with actual dermatological science, highlighting how absurd the premise is. Online discussions occasionally speculate about where he stores the shed skin and whether it retains any protective properties.