Abstract: Objective: To measure the thickness of the skin epidermis and dermis in different parts of the body of healthy adults by using high-frequency ultrasound. Methods: A total of 80 healthy adults were enrolled. The thickness of epidermis and dermis were measured by 24 MHz high-frequency ultrasound at 7 sites, including the forehead, zygoma, cheek, chin, neck, forearm and abdomen. Results: Among the 7 sites, the epidermis thickness of the forearm (0.2061±0.02862) mm was the thickest and the dermis thickness of the abdomen was the thickest (1.5819±0.31710 mm). The epidermis and dermis thickness were thinnest at the neck (0.1764±0.02812) mm (0.9616±0.18852) mm (P<0.05). The thickness of the epidermis and dermis at the 7 sites were significantly higher in male adults than that in female ones. Whether male or female, the thickness of dermis at the forehead, zygoma and cheek in < 40-year-old group were significantly higher than that in ≥ 40-year-old group (P<0.05). The epidermis thickness at the abdomen, the dermis thickness at the zygoma and neck in the group of BMI＜24 were thinner than in the group of BMI≥24. Conclusion: The thickness of epidermis and dermis in different sites of healthy adults were different. The thickness of epidermis and dermis in male adults were thicker than that in female adults. Age affects the thickness of facial dermis.

Key words: ultrasonography, epidermis, dermis, skin thickness