Re: Question about skin and veins

Hallo Heather,

Yes, there are different types of skin, and skin types are inherited.  But 
as well as that, people's skin changes and looks different at different 
stages of their life.

Babies have soft, firm and very elastic skin.  Old people's skin loses 
elastin, which is the substance that makes it flexible, so it sags, gets 
wrinkly and also becomes thinner, which makes it more transparent. 
Clear skin comes from:
 being healthy;
 being young;
 being old enough to have gone through and beyond the hormone storms of 
puberty which cause spots;
 eating a decent diet (less junk food/fizzy drinks, more fresh fruit and 
vegetables);
 being physically active.  Strong exertion makes you sweat, sweat takes 
toxins out of the body, so skin gets clearer and firmer;
 living in a pollution-free environment.

Having skin transparent enough to see the veins through it is inherited.  
Peoples' bodies develop over many generations to adapt them for optimum 
survival in the place they live in.  
We all need the correct daily amounts of vitamin D to prevent various bone 
diseases.  (Too much vitamin D is toxic and causes different problems).  
We can get vitamin D from certain foods (egg yolks, fish liver etc.) and --
- here's the important bit --- our skins will manufacture it for us by 
being exposed to sunlight.  

I think it is possible that Amber's ancestors came from somewhere far 
North, where winters are long with short days, and there's not much 
sunlight for months on end.  For instance, during November in Tampere, 
Finland daylight starts some time after 11 am, and it's dark again by 3 
pm.  People originating from that latitude need very pale, transparent 
skin so they can absorb the maximum amount of sunlight in the shortest 
possible time.  Veins are bound to show through skin this fine.  If you 
have skin this fine, it will absorb sunlight faster, so please be careful 
about sunbathing.
best regards,
Bobby