Is ND Yag a good laser and how effective is it?

Hi Sandy.  The answer is that it depends what your skin type is and what you are treating.  We commonly use the "long pulsed" Nd:Yg (Yag) laser for dark skin hair removal in African American patients.  If you are black and looking for laser hair removal, this type of laser would be safest and most effective for you.  We also use Yag lasers for spider veins on the legs.  Larger vessels, or visible spider veins that are NOT treated with sclerotherapy injections are treated with Yag lasers.  Finally q-switched Nd:Yg lasers are used for tattoo removal in all skin types.  So the short answer is that Yag lasers are excellent, but whether or not they fit your situation depends on your skin type and what you are having done.  See below for an example of a Los Angeles African American hair removal patient before and after Yag laser treatments.  

There are different types of yags (q switched, long pulsed, microsecond) i suggest going to a laser expert to find out which type of you are looking for and which condition you are treating.  It will depend on the type and your skin as to which would be best if good at all.  Dr. Emer.