shedding question

Just wondering if something is normal, though not to worried about it.

Whenever my snake goes to shed his color fades for a day or two and is kind of translucent looking. Kind of grey/bluish, his eyes are frosted over and such. I figure this is normal.
Though after a couple of days like that he goes back to being his normal bright orange/red color, though he hasn't shed yet. He's usually normal looking again for another day or two, then he finally sheds.
The first time he shed I thought he had actually shed after the grey phase passed, but I couldn't find the skin anywhere, I thought maybe he ate it or something untill 2 days later when he actually shed.
I figured he'd be shedding while still grey. Could he be having issues shedding so it takes him a little longer? I tried spraying him with a mister a few times last time he was grey thinking maybe the humidity might help him. I usually like hanging his sheds in a line across my wall when they aren't in pieces or poo'd in.



One other question on a unrelated topic. I just use newspaper in the cage as a substrate. Sometimes he crawls under it but it's usually just in flat sheets on the bottom to cover the glass. Is there anything wrong with that or is that ok? Would some other substrate be better?


Thanks again,
Adam

As far as I can make out, the grey/blue colour is due to some fluids under the skin, that are re-absorbed when the colour brightens, then the shed occurs.
I can't get aspen anywhere near me unless for silly prices, so I use kitchenroll and my snakes all burrow in between and under the sheets. I don't think it is as much an issue as repticarpet, where liquids and bacteria can collect unseen for the snake to lie in. The paper soaks up the urates and shows quite clearly when a clean-up is needed. Hope this helps, J9

I heard that when a snake goes into it's shed mode, it doesn't eat. Is this true? Just wondering. ^^

yeah, well, at least from the experience with my snake. I always skip feeding him the week he sheds since when I did feed him that week he never ate it.

So it takes 1 week for them to shed all the way. Should you hold them during this time?

Mine doesn't really care whatever or whenever I do to him. I don't know in general though.

He's beautiful though, the picture of him you have. Is he a bloodred? I have a creamsicle, i'll get a picture of him soon so you can see him.