Ultrasound is also an accurate tool used to measure dermal thickness. This technology can also detect the presence of deep indentations of adipose tissue in the skin, as demonstrated earlier by histology. In a study by Kligman et al., dermal thickness was measured using a B-scan 20 MHz device [19].
The above forms of measurement vary in their effectiveness, but all have been used in studies that will be mentioned throughout this chapter. Some of these tools can be viewed as subjective, while others serve as purely objective evaluators of cellulite. For instance, simple observation, photographs, and patient and physician questionnaires are a strictly subjective form of measurement. In contrast, MRI, thigh circumference, and ultrasonography are more objective in their nature. The advantages and disadvantages of these two classes of assessment will emerge as the efficacy of various treatment plans for cellulite is scrutinized. However, despite multiple therapeutic modalities for cellulite, there is little scientific evidence that any of the treatments under question are advantageous. Therefore, in order to assess the precision of the data, it is best to examine the means by which cellulite in these studies is being measured. Given that subjective measurement may be more prone to experimental bias and error, the precision of these results may need to be inspected with greater attention than purely objective data. Several researchers agree that the best standardized and objective tools to assess cellulite are MRI and ultrasound [20].