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Laser treatment for nail fungus
Nail Fungal Disease
Fungal nail disease, medically referred to as onychomycosis, affects many people.
Fungi are dermatophytes that feed on nail keratin, a structural protein within your nails.
Fungal colonies proliferate in moist, warm and dark environments and invade the nail bed by penetrating the margins of the nail resulting in pain, impaired ability to walk, yellowing, thickening, cracking of the nails, and negative self-image.
Solutions offered to date include prescription medications that have side effects, and surgery to remove the nail; neither is comfortable for the millions suffering with nail fungus.
Oral medications have the potential to elevate liver enzymes and can cause liver damage.
Fungi are dermatophytes that feed on nail keratin, a structural protein within your nails.
Fungal colonies proliferate in moist, warm and dark environments and invade the nail bed by penetrating the margins of the nail resulting in pain, impaired ability to walk, yellowing, thickening, cracking of the nails, and negative self-image.
Solutions offered to date include prescription medications that have side effects, and surgery to remove the nail; neither is comfortable for the millions suffering with nail fungus.
Oral medications have the potential to elevate liver enzymes and can cause liver damage.
How Does Laser Fungal Treatment Work?
Lasers make use of photoselective effects to eliminate infection. Lasers showed a fungicidal effect.
Photoselective effects use the selective absorption of the energy from single-wavelength light by a chromophore that is present in fungus but not in the surrounding tissue to cause photochemical, photothermal, and photomechanical effects that disrupt fungi.
The laser systems that are used to treat onychomycosis vary.
Therapies for the treatment of onychomycosis☆
Aditya K. Gupta, MD, PhD, FRCP(C) a,b,⁎, Maryse Paquet, PhDb, Fiona C. Simpson, BSc b
Photoselective effects use the selective absorption of the energy from single-wavelength light by a chromophore that is present in fungus but not in the surrounding tissue to cause photochemical, photothermal, and photomechanical effects that disrupt fungi.
The laser systems that are used to treat onychomycosis vary.
Therapies for the treatment of onychomycosis☆
Aditya K. Gupta, MD, PhD, FRCP(C) a,b,⁎, Maryse Paquet, PhDb, Fiona C. Simpson, BSc b
Clinical Study Results
Laser therapy is safe, well tolerated and very effective in promoting the growth of clear nails in
patients with onychomycosis with significant improvement two months after initial treatment.
Reference:
patients with onychomycosis with significant improvement two months after initial treatment.
Reference:
- http:www.laserandhealthacademy.com/media/objave/academy/priponke/novel_laser_therapy_in_treatment_of_onychomycosis.pdf
- Therapies for the treatment of onychomycosis☆ Aditya K. Gupta, MD, PhD, FRCP(C) a,b,⁎, Maryse Paquet, PhDb, Fiona C. Simpson, BSc b
- Laser treatment for toenail fungus David M. Harrisa,b, Brian A. McDowellc, John Strisowerb, aUniv. of Washington, Seattle WA, USA 98195; bPathoLase, Inc. 275 Airpark Blvd., Chico, CA 95973; cNorthern California Orthopedic Centers, 6403 Coyle Avenue, Carmichael, CA, USA 95608
- Novel Laser Therapy in Treatment of Onychomycosis
Jasmina Kozarev,1 Zdenko Vižintin21Dr.Kozarev Dermatology Laser Clinic., Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia Fotona d.d., Ljubljana, Slovenia - 3 Month Clinical Results using Sub-millisecond 1064 nm Nd:YAG Laser for the Treatment of Onychomycosis David Weiss DPM1
1. Weiss Foot and Ankle Center, Hammonton, NJ
How Soon Will It Clear The Nail ?
Will I need more that one treatment?While a single treatment may be enough, in more severe cases additional treatments may
be recommended depending on the severity of the fungal infection to reach optimal results of clear nails and prevent the risk of recurrence.
As the nail resumes healthy growth, they grow in clear.
be recommended depending on the severity of the fungal infection to reach optimal results of clear nails and prevent the risk of recurrence.
As the nail resumes healthy growth, they grow in clear.
Is The Procedure Painful?
During the laser treatment, a laser beam is slowly directed across the nail bed.
The energy of the laser beam is absorbed by the underlying fungal colony, the thermal energy denaturalizes the enzymes within the fungus and impairs its ability to replicate and grow.
Patients may feel a warm sensation during the procedure, no pain experienced.
No anesthetic is required.
The energy of the laser beam is absorbed by the underlying fungal colony, the thermal energy denaturalizes the enzymes within the fungus and impairs its ability to replicate and grow.
Patients may feel a warm sensation during the procedure, no pain experienced.
No anesthetic is required.
FAQ's: You May Be Wondering...
Is there clinical evidence to prove that laser treatment really cures toenail fungus?
There is significant clinical evidence to prove that laser treatment dramatically improves the condition of even a severely infected toenail.
In a recent international study conducted on 72 patients over 3 months, follow-up showed that over 90% of the patients were cleared of all fungal infections.
Reference:
How soon will I be able to see improvement to my toenails after treatment?
It usually depends on the origin of the fungal infection; if it was at the "root" of the nail, improvement can be seen as early as 3 weeks.
A continuous improvement will be gradual as the nail continues to grow.
Typically a significant improvement will be seen after 3 months.
What are the benefits of using laser treatment over drug treatment?
Advantages: Laser therapies are an alternative to the limitations of pharmacotherapy (drugs), reduced adverse effects and drug–drug interactions, because laser treatment is noninvasive.
These therapies have a higher potential to reduce the need for patient compliance, because the procedures are conducted at the clinic.
Oral antifungal medications are toxic, and may cause serious medical complications, with a significant risk of liver toxicity, prolonged loss of taste, and life-threatening drug interactions.
As a result, patients that are taking these medications go through routine blood tests to make sure their liver is not damaged during the treatment.
Laser treatment is completely drug free, it does not impose all the health risks associated with the oral antifungal medications. There are no adverse reactions, injuries, or known side effects from use of lasers to treat a toenail fungus infection.
How is the laser treatment compared to drug treatment in terms of its success rate?
Recent International studies showed over 90% success rates using the latest generation of laser equipment, done over a 3 month period.
Extending the treatment with additional 3 months cured more than 95% of patients.
Common drug treatments that are used over a period of several months are known to have cure rates of only 40 to 80%.
How long does the treatment take?
The treatment takes approximately 15 minutes per foot.
Is the treatment painful?
No. The treatment will not cause pain. You will feel the area under the nail heat up but not to an uncomfortable degree.
If I have only one infected nail, can I treat only that one & save time & costs?
Yes you can treat one nail if you choose to.
If one of your nails is infected, the chances are that your other nails are infected as well, and to allow the treatment to be successful and prevent future self infections, its best to treat all toenails. We treat all 10 the nails at once.
There is significant clinical evidence to prove that laser treatment dramatically improves the condition of even a severely infected toenail.
In a recent international study conducted on 72 patients over 3 months, follow-up showed that over 90% of the patients were cleared of all fungal infections.
Reference:
- http:www.laserandhealthacademy.com/media/objave/academy/priponke/novel_laser_therapy_in_treatment_of_onychomycosis.pdf
- Therapies for the treatment of onychomycosis☆ Aditya K. Gupta, MD, PhD, FRCP(C) a,b,⁎, Maryse Paquet, PhDb, Fiona C. Simpson, BSc b
- Laser treatment for toenail fungus David M. Harrisa,b, Brian A. McDowellc, John Strisowerb, aUniv. of Washington, Seattle WA, USA 98195; bPathoLase, Inc. 275 Airpark Blvd., Chico, CA 95973; cNorthern California Orthopedic Centers, 6403 Coyle Avenue, Carmichael, CA, USA 95608
- Novel Laser Therapy in Treatment of Onychomycosis
Jasmina Kozarev,1 Zdenko Vižintin21Dr.Kozarev Dermatology Laser Clinic., Sremska Mitrovica, Serbia Fotona d.d., Ljubljana, Slovenia - 3 Month Clinical Results using Sub-millisecond 1064 nm Nd:YAG Laser for the Treatment of Onychomycosis David Weiss DPM1
1. Weiss Foot and Ankle Center, Hammonton, NJ
How soon will I be able to see improvement to my toenails after treatment?
It usually depends on the origin of the fungal infection; if it was at the "root" of the nail, improvement can be seen as early as 3 weeks.
A continuous improvement will be gradual as the nail continues to grow.
Typically a significant improvement will be seen after 3 months.
What are the benefits of using laser treatment over drug treatment?
Advantages: Laser therapies are an alternative to the limitations of pharmacotherapy (drugs), reduced adverse effects and drug–drug interactions, because laser treatment is noninvasive.
These therapies have a higher potential to reduce the need for patient compliance, because the procedures are conducted at the clinic.
Oral antifungal medications are toxic, and may cause serious medical complications, with a significant risk of liver toxicity, prolonged loss of taste, and life-threatening drug interactions.
As a result, patients that are taking these medications go through routine blood tests to make sure their liver is not damaged during the treatment.
Laser treatment is completely drug free, it does not impose all the health risks associated with the oral antifungal medications. There are no adverse reactions, injuries, or known side effects from use of lasers to treat a toenail fungus infection.
How is the laser treatment compared to drug treatment in terms of its success rate?
Recent International studies showed over 90% success rates using the latest generation of laser equipment, done over a 3 month period.
Extending the treatment with additional 3 months cured more than 95% of patients.
Common drug treatments that are used over a period of several months are known to have cure rates of only 40 to 80%.
How long does the treatment take?
The treatment takes approximately 15 minutes per foot.
Is the treatment painful?
No. The treatment will not cause pain. You will feel the area under the nail heat up but not to an uncomfortable degree.
If I have only one infected nail, can I treat only that one & save time & costs?
Yes you can treat one nail if you choose to.
If one of your nails is infected, the chances are that your other nails are infected as well, and to allow the treatment to be successful and prevent future self infections, its best to treat all toenails. We treat all 10 the nails at once.
Pictures - Before & After
Quick Facts
- Safe
- Painless
- No surgery
- Cost effective
- No side effects
- No recovery period
- No healing required
- No local anaesthesia
- No harm to nail or skin
- Quick, in office procedure
- No down time from activities
- Socks & shoes worn immediately after
- Nail polish can be applied after treatment
