Treatment choices at our Seattle clinic include laser treatment of fungal nails topical treatments and oral medications. The laser light penetrates through the nail and soft tissue to both kill fungus in its path and promotes new nail growth.
New Fungal Nail Treatments 2019 A Tailored Treatment Approach
Laser treatment is considered an off-label use of an approved dermatology laser.
Laser treatment nail fungus does not work. It is proposed that some lasers might work by heating up the nail sufficiently to discourage fungal infections. The Q Clear laser for treating toenail fungus. Other tissue components are unaffected and so spared.
The laser treatment for yellow toenail fungus involves shooting a laser tuned with specific frequency beams to target the onychomycosis generally responsible for toenail fungus. It is still absorbed by the fungus only and damages the structure of the fungus. The theory is that a precisely directed laser can eliminate the fungus without harming the surrounding nail tissue.
In 2019 Harvard University noted that there is still little information about its long-term safety and effectiveness. Once the living fungus is zapped by the laser healthy nails begin to grow from the cuticle of the nail. Laser methods keep the nail intact meaning the nail will look better after this treatment than some other treatments.
Given all the negative aspects of traditional toenail fungus treatments its a very good thing that a relatively new approach provides markedly better results than either ointments or oral medication. Toenail fungus can be a very difficult condition to manage and it is understandable why some people would want to. Christopher Hull discusses what nail fungus actually is why its so hard to get rid of and which treatments work best.
But no fungus treatment will work if the cause of your thick nail is nail dystrophy and some popular nail fungus treatments have been shown to be completely ineffective. A more normal nail is expected to appear with complete regrowth of the nail taking up to 9-12 months. At the time of the procedure the fungus is expected to be destroyed however no visible changes are seen until the nail begins to grow out.
Using bleach to treat toenail fungus is something that people sometimes try as a last resort for treating the condition. Most laser treatments are not covered by health insurance. Fortunately toenail fungus typically does not lead to bigger medical problems.
Nail fungus can cause thick discolored nails and for some patients it can even be painful. Long-term studies are lacking. An Internet search will bring up plenty of ways to treat the condition but which ones are best.
I generally encourage healthy adult patients with mild toenail fungus to not treat it or to treat it just using topical measures. As with all the treatments you wont see the results right away. In 2016 in Podiatry Today Tracey Vlahovic DPM a leader in Podiatric Dermatology noted that laser is not a reliable monotherapy for toenail fungus.
Whats more those other treatments arent always as successful as lasers are in removing or preventing the fungi from returning. Even after a successful treatment fungal colonies often reestablish themselves. It is possible for the fungus to come back and reinfect laser treated toenails.
Laser treatment for fungal nails is accurate and painless and can take as little as ten minutes per toeas opposed to the weeks or months needed for topical or oral treatments to work. Its a Last Option for Recurrent Infections When topical creams and antifungal pills dont work in clearing up an infection which happens often as onychomycosis has a recurrence rate of 10 to 50 laser removal may be a last option short of surgically removing the nail. However even as a last resort this treatment is not a good idea.
Laser treatment of fungal toenail infection has been shown to be effective at least in the short run. Medical lasers are rather expensive devices so treatments with these machines requires generally quite high fees to recoup the original purchase price of the equipment. The Pinpointe NdYag laser is used to pass high power energy through the nail to the nail bed and nail growth area.
But what you need to know is that laser therapy has been proven effective in clinical trials and because of this the FDA began clearing laser devices. Getting rid of toenail fungus with laser therapy. Westside Laser Light does not offer any diagnosis or prescription medicationsorders for nail fungus.
Two lasers using different types of laser energy have attracted attention as treatments for fungal infection of the toenails a condition called onychomycosis pronounced oh-nee-koh-my-KOH-sis which can also affect the fingernails. For example you can buff the nail down with a file to keep it thin so the fungus has a less of a home to live in. Westside Laser Light offers laser treatment on toe nails and finger nails to support your existing treatment provided from your family doctor.
Different studies have been done and the process has gained more popularity since its approval by the FDA but none of them have shown promising conclusive results on a large scale. This utilizes infrared radiation which is not painful and it is safe to gently heat the base of the nail.
