# Blue veins

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-veins/721543>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [June 3, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-veins/721543 "2015-06-03T16:34:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-veins/721543/1 "2015-06-03T16:34:23Z")

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> **[If blood is red why do your veins look blue?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342562/if-blood-is-red-why-do-your-veins-look-blue)**
>
> A STAFF REPORT FROM THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD

If veins looks blue because red light doesn’t escape through the skin, how can we look bright red when we get sunburn?

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**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-veins/721543/2 "2015-06-03T16:56:18Z")

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The critical part of the article is “_At a certain depth_, the tubes appeared blue.” A one-molecule-thick layer of skin overtop of a capillary is not going to make it turn blue, and the inflammation that comprises a sunburn is closer to the surface than a vein.

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**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2015, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blue-veins/721543/3 "2015-06-04T03:18:58Z")

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If I had to carry poop and pee, I’d be blue too … what a nasty job.