A skinfold caliper is a small, handheld tool designed to measure skinfolds in different areas of the body, to help determine how much fat someone has under the skin, according to the Sports Fitness Advisor website. The skinfold measurements can then be used to calculate a person's overall body fat percentage. Using a skinfold caliper is relatively easy to do.
Step 1
Pinch skin and fat at a measuring site, with the thumb and index finger of both hands. The skin should be "drawn up" in a vertical line. Typical measuring areas are the thigh, an inch to the right of the navel, and on the chest, just above and right of the right nipple, for men. Women are usually measured on the tricep, halfway between the shoulder and elbow, an inch to the right of the navel, and the iliac crest, which is the curved ridge near the top of the pelvic bone.
Step 2
Release the right hand from holding the skin, and pick up the skinfold caliper. Close the jaws of the caliper over the fold of the skin. Allow it to settle close to the level where the skin would normally be.
Step 3
Wait until the caliper adjusts, then write down the measurement in millimeters, Take three measurements at each site, then average them out to get your final number. Compare your totals plus your age to a body compostion chart to get an idea of your fat percentage.
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