I'm not that old but certainly have skin issues and white hair already. My skin is surprising to the kids where I work and when nap time comes round I am supposed to be gently rubbing their backs to get them to sleep. What generally happens is that I feel a soft, supple little hand caressing my forearm, squeezing it, playing with the skin. I had scleroderma and it made my skin look hard, almost like plastic, but because I use a lot of lotion it's surprisingly soft. One little girl said my arm was like her pretty velvet dress. I understood what she was trying to say. Bulky, lots of folds, but so soft. It doesn't hurt when the kids kind of grab a handful of skin - it's just skin.

Like you said so nicely, she knows what it looks like, there is nothing she can do about it, and she's lived that skin for a long time. It's weird to anyone young, but it's part of the process. I don't like people making fun of her smile though - that's just mean.