Are the ALMA Soprano Lasers Good for Dark Skin?

The safest laser hair removal laser for patients with darker skin types is a 1064nm Nd:Yag laser.  Particularly for patients with darker skin types, it is important to have laser hair removal performed in a doctor's office, so that the wrong laser isn't used for the treatment.  Laser hair removal lasers target melanin (pigmented cells) in the hair, but can also affect the melanin cells in the skin, which can lead to burns and even scarring.  The Alma Soprano laser is an 810nm laser, which is sometimes used for laser hair removal on patients with darker skin types, but is not the safest option.

As a rule, we all recommend lasers that have a wavelength of 1064 nm for most of our dark-skinned patients. These lasers are the safest for dark skin but may take longer – more sessions – to achieve the results we are all after. The Soprano as we know it is an 810 nm diode and is FDA cleared to treat all skin types so theoretically it can be used, in reality it has been used, and thus can be used by skilled technicians to treat unwanted hair. So the answer is yes, but most would start with something else.

Long Pulsed nd:yag lasers are safe and often very effective for dark skinned people.