alt Hacker NewsWe used the approximation that the hypodermis was a perfectly white reflector; so the thickness wouldn’t matter. The collagen fibrills scatter light in such a way to create a yellower tint. So a person’s skin might appear this way in the absence of melanin and haemoglobin. I’m not an expert on population statistics, and so cannot give an opinion on specific skin types. Everything was based on ranges.
There is a separate effect of increased bilirubin content, that would appear if someone was ill.
This brings up an interesting topic of atypical compounds that can visibly affect skin coloring -- whether temporary or more long-lived (such as elevated methemoglobin levels in the Blue Fugates of Kentucky).
It's fascinating to learn that melanin and haemoglobin are the two primary factors (and cover the vast majority of cases), but I'm curious how many other illnesses / disorders can produce compounds with visible effects.
Thank you for your posts on this thread -- I appreciate you knowledge-sharing on this!