Determining the in vivo elastic properties of dermis layer of human skin using the supersonic shear imaging technique and inverse analysis.

Purpose: Human skin consists of several layers including epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. The determination of the in vivo mechanical properties of an individual skin layer represents a great challenge to date. In this study, the authors explore the use of the supersonic shear imaging (SSI) technique and inverse analysis to determine the in vivo elastic properties of the dermis layer of human skin.