Help with surfaces..PART TWO

I thought my question was pretty straight forward, you can read it if you want to, vis this link
http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/5264/ or scroll down this thread.
You can also read the replies, which while i appreciate the time and effort spent actually produced nothing in terms of usable information. Mr Heseltine replied to my question with a question, which i attempted to answer, i like to do that when people ask questions, seems a reasonable thing to do. I thank him for his question which of course was an attempt to find an answer. Unfortunatley i have heard nothing since i posted my answer so i am no further forward.
DWG told me that skin settings are really difficult, i think i agree. She, pressumably it is a lady, also advised me about some info that might have been available from Adam001. Couldn't locate him though.
Please do not think this is a dig at these very well intentioned people, i honestly appreciate the attempt to help, and i have seen Mr Heseltine helping out loads of people on my voyages through the forums and know he does a loads to help others.
The thing is this, i need to know about shaders, how exactly i can use those that i have got, maybe even get others, and i also need some info on Sub surface scattering, and how to introduce translucency to a render.
No one so far has been able to point me in the direction of answers, so if you have some….answers that is, please let me know