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Skinfold Caliper Body Fat Calculator

A guided skinfold caliper assessment for tracking body composition over time. This tool measures subcutaneous fat only — it is not a diagnostic test.

Patient & Session

Sex *

Protocol

Skinfold Measurements (mm)

Chest

Diagonal fold; men: midway between anterior axillary line and nipple. Women: one-third of the distance from anterior axillary line to nipple.

Median
—
How to measure
  1. 1.Measure on the right side of the body, unless a documented reason requires otherwise — record any deviation.
  2. 2.Patient standing relaxed, muscle not contracted, skin dry and lotion-free.
  3. 3.Grasp the fold firmly between thumb and index finger, 1 cm proximal to the marked site.
  4. 4.Lift the fold clear of underlying muscle. Verify by asking the patient to contract briefly.
  5. 5.Apply caliper jaws perpendicular to the fold, at the marked site, mid-way between crest and base of the fold.
  6. 6.Maintain the pinch throughout the reading. Release the caliper trigger fully.
  7. 7.Read 2 seconds after full jaw pressure is applied — earlier over-reads, later under-reads.
  8. 8.Take readings in rotation across all sites, then repeat the rotation, then a third pass. Never take three consecutive readings at one site.
  9. 9.Record the median of three readings.
  10. 10.Same tester, same caliper, same time of day for all follow-ups. Inter-tester error exceeds the difference between any two equations.
  11. 11.Do not measure after exercise, sauna, or in a dehydrated state — fluid shifts alter fold thickness.

Abdomen

Vertical fold, 2 cm lateral to the umbilicus.

Median
—
How to measure
  1. 1.Measure on the right side of the body, unless a documented reason requires otherwise — record any deviation.
  2. 2.Patient standing relaxed, muscle not contracted, skin dry and lotion-free.
  3. 3.Grasp the fold firmly between thumb and index finger, 1 cm proximal to the marked site.
  4. 4.Lift the fold clear of underlying muscle. Verify by asking the patient to contract briefly.
  5. 5.Apply caliper jaws perpendicular to the fold, at the marked site, mid-way between crest and base of the fold.
  6. 6.Maintain the pinch throughout the reading. Release the caliper trigger fully.
  7. 7.Read 2 seconds after full jaw pressure is applied — earlier over-reads, later under-reads.
  8. 8.Take readings in rotation across all sites, then repeat the rotation, then a third pass. Never take three consecutive readings at one site.
  9. 9.Record the median of three readings.
  10. 10.Same tester, same caliper, same time of day for all follow-ups. Inter-tester error exceeds the difference between any two equations.
  11. 11.Do not measure after exercise, sauna, or in a dehydrated state — fluid shifts alter fold thickness.

Thigh

Vertical fold on anterior midline, midway between inguinal crease and proximal border of patella. Patient shifts weight to opposite leg.

Median
—
How to measure
  1. 1.Measure on the right side of the body, unless a documented reason requires otherwise — record any deviation.
  2. 2.Patient standing relaxed, muscle not contracted, skin dry and lotion-free.
  3. 3.Grasp the fold firmly between thumb and index finger, 1 cm proximal to the marked site.
  4. 4.Lift the fold clear of underlying muscle. Verify by asking the patient to contract briefly.
  5. 5.Apply caliper jaws perpendicular to the fold, at the marked site, mid-way between crest and base of the fold.
  6. 6.Maintain the pinch throughout the reading. Release the caliper trigger fully.
  7. 7.Read 2 seconds after full jaw pressure is applied — earlier over-reads, later under-reads.
  8. 8.Take readings in rotation across all sites, then repeat the rotation, then a third pass. Never take three consecutive readings at one site.
  9. 9.Record the median of three readings.
  10. 10.Same tester, same caliper, same time of day for all follow-ups. Inter-tester error exceeds the difference between any two equations.
  11. 11.Do not measure after exercise, sauna, or in a dehydrated state — fluid shifts alter fold thickness.

Results

Enter all required sites and click Calculate before exporting.

Patient data entered here is not saved. The clinic is responsible for retaining the exported PDF in its own records in line with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and applicable clinical record-keeping requirements.