Please can someone help me Nd:Yag or Soprano?

I'm seriously considering laser hair removal, but am doing my research. I'm light olive skinned (Pakistani ethnicity) looking at FitzPatrick chart would say a IV. Sorprano is supposed to be virtually pain-free which is very appealing!, but Nd:Yag is more commonly used for darker skin types. I'm looking at getting my legs done first. I would really appreciate some advice or experience. Many Thanks, Jess xxx
Asked by jess81

14 answers

Top answer
sabbs
Definitely go for the soprano, I don't think you fully understand the concept of pain free treatment, I've had my arms done from the Nd:Yag and it scared me off wanting to ever get anything else done until a friend told me about maximedicare and there sopranro machine I wish I had researched properly first time round I could have saved myself from the pain and saved some money too...

Comments

jess81
Thank you for commenting, how long before you saw most of the hair on your legs go? Jess x
sabbs
At the consultation they told me everything would be gone by the 6th treatment but I saw massive results by the 3rd treatment (3-4 months) and after the 4th treatment (5 months) I was completely done, I hope this helps. Btw keep us posted on what you finally decide to do and how the treatment goes for you.
jess81
Thank you for giving me some insight into what to expect, I had a patch test done the other day, and it was fine. Cost - is it better to just pay per treatment or do a package? When they say full legs, they do mean both? Thanks again, x
laylalou
i have seen a good deal on this saprano ice lazor on groupon and i am very tempted to have it done but at same time scared i dont want be scared and bright red i got to travel on tubes buses to get there and back can i shave inbetween does it work on chin area i am very hairy there have to shave twice a day i really want to know what to expect do i go for the three treatment on medium area or or 6 treatments or on large area dont rly know what they mean by large area because its quite alot on my face can i shave inbetween treatments? my hairs are very corse due to shaving for years will it work on corse hair??
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helloworld
Soprano works amazing on legs, but i would suggest going with the soprano ice with chill tip, to cool areas, its pain free on lower settings but if i were you i would take a little discomfort and have the treatment on a higher setting, you will see amazing results. The soprano has a pick and place setting i would recommend this option. The problem with the motion method is that some bits can get more layering that others. All will make sense when you go to the clinic. I have had a few treatments i am very happy with the amazing results.
Zunz4
Laser nd yag is you best one, I am a beauty tutor and teach laser also I have had laser on my face and body using the nd yag I wouldn't recommend any other. It shouldn't be painful but if it is then the setting is not set correct also we all have different pain threshold.
Zunz4
Laser nd yag is you best one, I am a beauty tutor and teach laser also I have had laser on my face and body using the nd yag I wouldn't recommend any other
Wildcard
I have had treatment using the SopranoICE on my face i have olive type skin and of Pakistani heritage. Has removed a significant amount of hair, i had IPL before that did nothing..The SopranoICE is virtually pain free, however when i did feel some discomfort during the treatments, those treatments worked the best. So my advice bear with some pain and you will reap the results, i am happy with the sopranoICE, probably the most effective for asian skin types.
Wookie100
Are there any asians out there who can recommend a good place in London for laser hair removal as I am struggling to find a decent venue.

Comments

Rupee-rue
Hey I am getting my laser treatments on my legs, arms and underarms in London but will be having the alexandrite/nd yag on half my limb and soprano ice on the other half of my limbs! I'm very tempted to cancel my package with the soprano as I don't think it works as well on tanned olive or tanned asin skin but have had patch test with IPL as well. The nd yag does hurt but bear the pain girls! IPL hurts worse in my opinion and isn't eddetxe for the mentioned skin. Haven't gone for my patch test for the soprano so will let you guys know. :)
LaserPK
Hi @Rupee-rue, Can you please share with us how did your treatment go. I am also looking to get laser done but confused which one would be better for an Indian sking Nd Yag or Diode lasers?
Nelly786
Hi I've recently had laser hair removal at pearl skin clinic in Birmingham. I would highly recommend it. Like yours I am Asian with olive skin colour. The result are absolutely brilliant it was really pain free didn't feel anything throughout the treatment. I would only recommend soprano ice.
Tanyali
Hi I am a skin type 4 have actually been having treatments with a NDYag on my face and neck I have had 13 treatments but honestly made a slight difference but not much, I was fed up now at this point spending lots of money and time. my sister had the same problem she was traveling from London ever 3-4 weeks, I then realised not all ndyags are the same I tried Fotona which didn't work at all for me, some one recommended me to another clinic Rejuva laser hair clinic in birmingham who had an ndyag by syneron candela and wow I had 1 session and so results within my first treatment with them I was amazed and me my sister are having our full body treatments with them aswell after our face session and there prices are also so affordable for everyone I really would reccomend them to everyone because I'm so much more confident now because of them.
Rumcake
I am type 5, brown skin. I've had both ND-Yag and Soprano ice. First let me tell you soprano ice is not as painless as it claims. You still feel significant pain. ND-Yag however is a lot more intense.. especially as the settings go up naturally after each session.
I personally experienced better results with ND-Yag. Hair was back in less than a year with Soprano but ND-Yag gave me closer to 18 months without top-ups. I also found that after the 2nd treatment with ND-Yag the hair on my face was pretty much gone.
My personal choice now would be ND-Yag for my face and soprano for larger area such as legs. For those worried about pain.. buy EMLA cream it works.
If the technician knows what they are doing you won't get scars and such. I've also had laser on the NHS and the clinic used ND-Yag. Soprano works but it's a bit gimmicky.. it's still painful unless the settings are really low. No pain = No gain.
Rupee-rue
Right girls - I completely forgot I posted my comments on here a year ago! And boy do I have lots to tell you!
So I went with the Alexandrite/and Yag for some areas (underarms, full arms and upper legs) - I had 5 sessions and the woman disappeared but I lost out on my 6th session as I forgot to add it to my diary.
- the pain was bearable but was like a strong flick esp at the back of my thighs and top of my thighs where I guess hair is slightly more prominent (for me at least) and at times felt like a scratch. I was not a fan of the burning smell and sometimes the cool air tube wasn't in sync with the laser flash so pain was more apparent. Very slow procedure.
- Btw my pain threshold is very high
- The results were okay - not great - I saw the dead hair falling out etc and some spots of bald patches but I would say it reduced the hair by 45%
Now - I then also want for the Soprano on my lower legs, knees, upper arms and underarms, which I'm still completing (bad management and was given 2 extra sessions as gesture of goodwill) and can safely say that I don't remove hair from my underarms (90% gone) and arms (80% gone)
- you won't feel a thing other than a warm heat but the therapist can adjust this if unbearable.
Whilst the Soprano sessions were under bad management I went for a Hollywood (falsely advertised - only the front of my bikini area was done) and went back for my full legs using IPL - absolutely pointless and didn't work. I've seen about 20% hair reduction in my bikini area or whatever you want to call it.
I've now just had a patch test for my Hollywood (full incl lips and back) and buttocks with the Soprano and am excited to see the results as I know it works on my skin type (Asian but not too tanned - maybe a 3-4)
I say go for Soprano (aka Soprano ICE) and post back your results! Pain is virtually a warm session but remember we've got to go through some pain to see results. Also laser is not permanent - you will want to top up the area ie epilate/pluck in between. However for this time I'm going to use hair growth inhibitors so will let you know how that helps. I'm ideally looking for a reduction or close to very little hair.
Also maintaining your area (less shave in between the better) and keeping on top of your sessions is very important for consistency.
Good luck! :)
Mi55y
Hi, I do laser hair removal In Birmingham and am using the Nd yag.
Clients from all ethnicities have achieved positive results withina course if 6 treatments
It can be painful in certain areas but it's worth it..
zuni86
Hi jess, i also want to do laser hair removal on my face and front neck. Want to ask you, if you could tell me how the treatment worked for you and what the results are? What would you recommend? Please help me to get a right decision and answer honestly.
I have also asian skin, type 3-4 as skin color is very light brown.
And where did you go? How much does it cost for maybe 6 sessions? Thx in advance

Comments

Mi55y
If your Asian 70% of my clients are, I would recommend The Yag laser
Minus the pain which is relative person to person , I've had a positive
Response from clients mid- way through treatments .. I have plenty of opening offers
So contact me on 07415878500 for further info
nmarman
The two laser produce slightly different light:
Essentially the YAG goes very deep and the soprano goes about 3-5 mm. The soprano light is the most efficient at hair removal; no question. The YAG can go so deep it seals blood vessels which can cause changes in sensation post treatment.
RESULTS: The YAG will get the deep thick hairs but will miss the fine shallow hairs. The soprano is the best all rounder and very good for the face where hairs are shallow.

Because the soprano is a diode laser, (like a LED bulb it is different from a classic bulb that ages and blows), it can be flicked on and off very quickly meaning it gently warms rather skin than flicking the skin (YAG). This is the SHR mode and is what is pain less.
The YAG can't do this it needs to be charged until it Zaps and this can be very anxious for the patient. Although if you have very dark skin (Fitzpatrick 5 or above) you should go with the YAG and bare the pain. If you decide to go for YAG it is often cheaper as a YAG laser is a YAG laser but often the machine come with a skin cooler of some description. This is what you should look for as this makes the experience less painful although not pain free.
NOTE: IPL is very shallow skin depth penetration and although it can help the results are often not permanent. it is cheap but given you have to have 13 treatments (underarms & bikini) and then its not permanent - it becomes very expensive in long run.
dancingninjacat
I haven't tried Soprano but I have had sessions with Nd Yag and IPL. As a British Chinese Malaysian, I have slightly darker than typically Oriental skin that tans easily. I found IPL useless with no visible results but Nd Yag has been really good - on 6 sessions each in a number of areas I wouldn't say that the hair completely stops growing in an area (underarms, upper lip) but largely there is no regrowth with just the odd tiny patch that still has significantly reduced regrowth so I recommend Nd Yag.
In terms of how painful it is, it varies (I find depending on time of the month too!). If you find you are sensitive I found it helpful to either have an ice pack on the area beforehand or some machines have an attached fan that blows cold air on the area and that also works. Of course it depends on the area and your pain threshold, how sensitive the area is but I think it's worth it for a brief moment
Hope that helps
sadfat
Hi. I have similar Pakistani skin likr your's and want to get laser done. Just wanted to now which treatment did u go with and what were the results ?
dancingninjacat
Hi Jess
I also have an olive tone to my skin and I'm Chinese so tend to have thick hair.
I've tried IPL on areas like belly button and nipples where there are the odd hair or very fine hair but the 6 treatments really didn't do anything for me.
I've had Nd:Yag on underarms, upper lip and bikini and I can definitely recommend it for people with similar skin tone and hair. I have such little growth in these areas now after 6 sessions I tend to forget to check my armpits (but it is good to because you may get the odd straggler!)
I will only go for Nd:Yag from now on - you might find the rare offer for it but the market is still dominated by IPL and newcomer Soprano. A warning though that it is painful - I think I have a high pain tolerance but it's definitely no fun on the face! It's like a sharp shot of pain (I think it reminds me of paintballing!!!) and I'm no fan of the smell of burning hair... However, it is worth it in the long run, as least it has been for me and my last treatment was September. I would imagine it's not as sensitive on the legs and it was mildly better underarms and bikini. Ask for a cold pack to put on the area before and after, that helps alot.
If you try Soprano let me know how you get on, I'd be curious to hear as I think the verdict is still out.
Good luck!

Comments

jess81
Thank you soo much for taking the time to give me your experience. I had a patch test done last week with the Sorprano, and to my surprise I didn't feel much (plucking and threading eyebrows is worse). I do have a very low pain threshold, so I think I'll give this a go and see how I do. Thanks again, x.
bielly
Hi Jess how you? Did you try the soprano how was your results? I am indian and did ipl but heard side effects are bas would like to know if I should do the soprano laser?
bielly
Hi Jess how you? Did you try the soprano how was your results? I am indian and did ipl but heard side effects are bas would like to know if I should do the soprano laser?
bielly
Hi Jess how you? Did you try the soprano how was your results? I am indian and did ipl but heard side effects are bas would like to know if I should do the soprano laser?
bielly
Hi Jess how you? Did you try the soprano how was your results? I am indian and did ipl but heard side effects are bas would like to know if I should do the soprano laser?
MaxiMedicare
Hello Jess,
The Soprano is very confortable and the results are fantastic!
It treats all skin types and all kind of hairs ( fine to thick) All our clients are happy. The other lasers are not only painful but can leave scars or depigmentation especially on dark skin.
We are based in Birmingham and most of our clients are asian.
Good Luck
Maximedicare Ltd

Comments

Wildcard
I have had treatment using the SopranoICE on my face i have olive type skin and of Pakistani heritage. Has removed a significant amount of hair, i had IPL before that did nothing..The SopranoICE is virtually pain free, however when i did feel some uncomfort during the treatments, those treatments worked the best. So my advice bear with some pain and you will reap the results, i am happy with the sopranoICE, probably the most effective for asian skin types. i had the treatments at viva skin & laser hair in blackburn see here http://www.vivaskinandlaser.com
Wildcard
I have had treatment using the SopranoICE on my face i have olive type skin and of Pakistani heritage. Has removed a significant amount of hair, i had IPL before that did nothing..The SopranoICE is virtually pain free, however when i did feel some uncomfort during the treatments, those treatments worked the best. So my advice bear with some pain and you will reap the results, i am happy with the sopranoICE, probably the most effective for asian skin types. i had the treatments at viva skin & laser hair in blackburn see here http://www.vivaskinandlaser.com
HarleySkinAndLaser
Nd:Yag Lasers and Soprano (Diode Laser) would both be suitable for your skin type. I would reccomend a Nd:Yag personally as I feel you would get better results. Nd:Yag is not great on the fine hairs but great on dark thick hair.
Good Luck

Comments

jess81
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I heard that the Sorprano is virtually pain-free although this is subjective, is the Nd:Yag painful?
07naina
I'm having SOPRANO ICE LASER HAIR REMOVAL on full face & neck and it is definitely not "painless". I think yes it depends on your pain threshold and sensitivity of skin also, but on my first session where hairs were darkest like chin& sideburns it was a very HOT sendstion. Almost like a hot iron touching you and you could smell the hairs. For some reason my cheeks, upper lip was fine. However, I'm now in 5 sessions and the laser feels more uncomfortable and I'm getting acne breakouts after each session which last fof about 10+ days. It could be the heat making my acne prone skin worse or the shaving beforehand. I have been advised to try cold pack before session next time and I have also bought Cetaphil to use religiously, just in case my skincare was making skin sensitive. I don't know how people say this is painfree, it's definitely not.
laylalou
hi i want it done do you recomend it as i have a large area on chin and side face to be treated is it working there is a good deal on groupon and im tempted but can i shave inbetween and will it work on corse hair
laylalou
hi i want it done do you recomend it as i have a large area on chin and side face to be treated is it working there is a good deal on groupon and im tempted but can i shave inbetween and will it work on corse hair
laylalou
hi i want it done do you recomend it as i have a large area on chin and side face to be treated is it working there is a good deal on groupon and im tempted but can i shave inbetween and will it work on corse hair
laylalou
hi i want it done do you recomend it as i have a large area on chin and side face to be treated is it working there is a good deal on groupon and im tempted but can i shave inbetween and will it work on corse hair
laylalou
hi i want it done do you recomend it as i have a large area on chin and side face to be treated is it working there is a good deal on groupon and im tempted but can i shave inbetween and will it work on corse hair