Laser Nail Fungus Treatment

 

✚ What is Nail Fungus?

  • Onychomycosis is a chronic fungal infection of the nail affecting the nail bed, nail plate or matrix.
  • Often occurs in adults, as is difficult to cure due to relapses.
  • Can be contracted in many different ways including pedicures by others, or nail injuries.
  • You may notice brittleness, discoloration, and thickening of the nail including change of shape.
  • If left untreated, can permanently damage the nail and spread to surrounding nails and skin.

✚ The condition is caused by the following fungal infections (dermatophytes):

  • Trichophyton rubrum,
  • Trichophyton mentagrophytes,
  • Candida albicans.

✚ It is classified based on specific sites of infections:

  • Superficial white onychomycosis,
  • Proximal subungual onychomycosis,
  • Distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis
  • Total dystrophic onychomycosis.

✚ Which are the most common types?

  • Distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis are the most common.
  • Other types of fungus are less common.

✚ What are the non-laser treatments?

  • Topical anti-funglal medication, (not very successful, as they don’t pennetrate the nail plate).
  • Oral anti-fungal medications, (havee side effecs to liver and kidney).
  • Other Mechanical and Chemical therapies.

✚ NdYAG Laser Nail Fungus treatments?

  1. Long Pulse Nd:YAG Laser at 1064nm
    • Micronsecond Laser
    • Recommened 2 treatments 1 month apart (71% cure rate).
  1. Short Pulse Q-Switch Nd:YAG Laser at 532nm and 1064nm.
    • 1064nm (1st Pass) - absorbed by melanin inside cell wall, producing high temperature in the nail, killing the fungal organism.
    • followed by 532nm (2nd pass) - denatures the proteins and molecules inside fungal cell wall, killing fungal organism.
    • Recommened 2 treatments 1 month apart to achieve (95% cure rate)

✚ CO2 Laser Fractional Nail Fungus treatments?

  • CO2 laser Fractional nail treatment (3 session 1 months apart), combined with topical Anti-fungal treatment (daily x 3 months)
  • at 3 months post-treatment, 70% of patient had normal nail appearance with negative fungal microscopic biopsy results.

✚ How does Laser treat the nail fungus?

  • The long-pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser increases the temperature in the nail resulting in destruction of the fungus.
  • The cell wall of (Trichophyton fungi) has high melanin content, and absorption 1064 nm very easily.
  • Laser treatments are mostly non-painful, works by passing a laser light into the nail, gently warming up the nail bed.
  • Results are usually seen in 6 months, as nail grow very slowly at about 3.5 millimeters (mm) per month.
  • Generally, complete regrowth of fingernails is 3-6 months and toenails is 12-18 months.
  • If your toenails are thick, it is important to file your nails before laser treatment for best results.
  • Laser nail treatments are not covered by insurances, and are considered a cosmetic procedure.
  • We accept most credit cards, Visa and MasterCard as well as Care Credit.