blindsaypatten wrote:I've only learned about SSS today after reading this thread so I may have it wrong but...
I think you have your nodes set up incorrectly in that you have your subdermal image feeding into the color on the SSS node.
Edit: Btw, I did try your skeleton clothing, I wasn't sure how to test it but in x-ray rendering I couldn't see anything, where normal clothes are visible.
i completely forgot about setting the node setup correctly and then saving the blend file, because yes i did set it up incorrectly, i noticed this when i first tried to render something that she was very red, i then changed the color of the sss node to the skindifuse. and adjusted the sss strength, trendered out my examples but forgot to save the blend. yes ignore the nodes, its was more for someone to see the skeleton underneath if interested.
Your SSS examples do look quite good, and i agree that you can get very close looking results without the use of a skeleton, however i still do believe if you are looking for very almost photo realistic results that the easiest is using a skeleton, this becomes in my opinion expecially noticable on the face details, for example on the nose, where we have a bridge which is all bone, but because it is so thin, without the skeleton the bridge does tend to bounce light through it even though it should not.