Different routes to the same end result — virtually painless laser hair removal
The above is one of the most frequent questions we get on our social media pages and website contact boxes. This article will answer this thoroughly so if you are a hair removal patient seeking the best treatment or perhaps an aesthetic practitioner or clinic owner seeking the best laser device you should definitely continue reading. Soprano™ laser hair removal devices have been around for over a decade now. These popular and reliable laser hair removal devices all share one thing in common — They are all powered by Alma lasers’ SHR™ trademark technology. We at Alma have developed this technology already back in 2006.
SHR™ has been such a successful advancement in the aesthetic laser treatment market, that most of this industry has adopted it’s principles. Among these principles is using a diode laser with a high repetition rate in-motion with relatively low-fluence. This technique promotes safer, virtually painless hair removal treatments. But not only. Most importantly it generates a higher accumulative energy rate into the treated area compared to standard stationary techniques. This results in improved and more uniform overall hair reduction for you, the patient.
When it comes to laser hair removal – quality matters
Even though there are many devices available in the market labeled as SHR™, it takes more than just adopting the technique in order to guarantee a safe and effective laser device. Energy-based devices that use light and optic components are highly sensitive and require the highest engineering and manufacturing standards to maintain a steady output and minimize burn risks for patients. Even the slightest design error can result in a device which is not effective, or even worse, hazardous.
What is the difference between the latest Soprano Titanium and the previous Soprano laser models?
So if all of the Soprano devices use the same principle, how do we keep improving them?
The Special Edition of Soprano Titanium is considered the 6th generation of the Soprano laser devices. To keep things shorter and more simple, we will highlight the main differences and improvements it holds versus the previous Soprano ICE Platinum laser and the Soprano ICE laser.
Three laser wavelengths
All three of the above mentioned Soprano laser devices utilize the three best laser wavelengths for hair removal. These are the 755nm Alexandrite, 810nm and 1064nm ND:YAG lasers. The older Soprano ICE offers three separate applicators (called “Alex” “Speed” and “Yag”) for each of these wavelengths. So when a hair removal patient comes in, the laser practitioner needs to choose the applicator which more suitable for the patient’s skin type.
Normally the Alex 755nm laser is more suitable for lighter skin and the 1064nm is safest for people with darker skin tones. The Soprano ICE Platinum, however, revolutionized this by combining all three laser wavelengths in one applicator (called “Trio”). This ground breaking technology fires all three wavelengths at once and is suitable for all different skin types. This means the laser clinic owner doesn’t need to purchase and maintain three different applicators, and the practitioner doesn’t need to switch between applicators for different patients.
As for you, the patient, there is still no major difference and you can enjoy virtually painless laser treatments regardless of your skin type. The latest Soprano laser device, the Special Edition of Soprano Titanium (launched by Alma in 2024) also uses the triple-clustered diode laser approach like the Soprano ICE Platinum. One if the things physician discovered that using all three laser wavelengths simultaneously, thus targeting various layers of the hair follicle and the skin around it, creates improved bulk heating. This controlled heat generates optimal conditions for permanent hair reduction.
Laser spot size and treatment duration
Laser hair removal devices vary in the laser beam spot size. The laser spot size affects a number of parameters but mostly it determines the speed of the treatment. The bigger the spot size, the quicker the treatment. That is mostly significant when it comes to large treatment areas. Those areas are the back, legs, abdomen, chest etc. The Soprano ICE’s three different applicators come with a 1cm² spot size. The Soprano ICE Platinum’s Trio applicator with a 2cm². The new Soprano Titanium however, boasts a 4cm² applicator — enabling treatments of large areas in 50% of the time. To put in other words it is nearly twice as fast. The Special Edition of Soprano Titanium is the fastest hair removal treatment on the market*. The new Soprano’s treatments are up to 20%** faster than the treatments of the previous platform.
This increase in speed (or decrease in treatment duration) is a major benefit for you the patient as well as the laser clinic. Spending less time in the clinic frees you as a patient to your preferred activities, and for the clinic the benefit is mostly financial — being able to treat more patients per day. See a few examples of common treatment areas duration using the Soprano Titanium laser.
Cooling technology – be cool!
An important and not trivial aspect is the cooling technology used by the laser hair removal device. Back in 2015 we have launched the Soprano ICE. With it we introduced the revolutionary ICE contact cooling technology, as it’s name implies. This feature made treatments (already much less painful thanks to the in-motion SHR™ technique) virtually painless. The Soprano ICE Platinum uses a similar Sapphire cooling component. Having a larger spot size, the Special Edition of Soprano Titanium required a further upgrade to this cooling system, and Alma has delivered exactly that with the ICE PLUS technology. This superior technology cools the applicator down to -4° Celsius! So even at maximum fluence used you won’t feel more than slight warmth on your skin. To conclude all three of these Soprano laser devices offer a pleasant and safe experience.
User interface and connectivity
Another difference that is more relevant for the laser technician or clinic owner is that the Special Edition of Soprano Titanium uses an advanced user interface. With this user interface, the practitioner can use a fixed treatment grid size (based on patient’s body size), use presets for body parts and adjust parameters according to skin type. All of these features allow more flexibility and are simple to apply. Additionally, the Special Edition of Soprano Titanium is connected to the IoT (Internet of Things) which allows for remote, cloud-based management of the device through desktop or tablet app called ‘Smart Clinic‘. This means the clinic owner can monitor usage rates of the device at the clinic (or chain of beauty clinics), log patient treatment progress etc.
Last but not least — pricing of the Soprano laser devices and treatments
As a patient, you can find a wide range of laser hair removal treatment packages. The specific Soprano laser device won’t necessarily determine the price of the treatment. Naturally, using newer technology can cost more in some cases, but not always. In many places the reputation of the clinic, competitiveness of the market (some cities like Buenos Aires have hundreds of Soprano laser clinics) and financial situation are the dominant factors.
For clinic owners, to get updated price quotes for your region please contact us and we’ll connect you with the relevant team.
So which one of the Soprano lasers is better?
Even though we’ve learned both the treatment safety, comfort and effectiveness can be similar between the three devices, it is clear the newest Soprano laser device, the Special Edition of Soprano Titanium has a clear edge for both patient and operator. Any solution that gets the job done in less time is gold! or shall we say, Titanium!
*Validated by ‘Sapio Research’, an independent global research agency, when compared with leading global laser hair removal brands.
**Valid in SHR In-Motion mode and high fluence levels.
Dörte Bosse