Is Human skin opaque or translucent

[ArtsyGirl13]

People say that human skin is opaque, others say it's translucent, is human skin opaque or translucent?

 

[headlessmike]

As a physicist, and not a physician, I'd say that the answer depends on the wavelength of light. It's more opaque to red light and more translucent to blue, at least the outer layers.

 

[Pakaku]

Light can pass through your body if it's bright enough, like making your fingers glow if you turn on your phone's back LED and put your finger over it. So it's translucent, just very close to opaque.

 

[ArtsyGirl13]

Skin isn't 100% opaque, it makes your hand or finger glow on certain objects and the insides of your eyelids red if you looking at the light with your eyes closed.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Mine is orange. (see avatar).

 

[ArtsyGirl13]

Skin is either opaque on some lights or translucent on other lights, it depends, but it isn't 100% opaque.

 

[Analog Kid]

As a physicist, and not a physician, I'd say that the answer depends on the wavelength of light. It's more opaque to red light and more translucent to blue, at least the outer layers.

Definitely at the translucent end in the nanometer range...