Cold Laser Nail Fungus Treatment

White Island Nail Fungus

As the name implies this fungus is a unique type of toenail fungus. It does not penetrate deep in the toenail root.

It resides in the plates of the toenail. These toenail fungi are dangerous as it will eat away the entire nail and then enter your nail.

The symptoms for the white-island fungus are the following.

• Nails coming off quite easily.
• Discoloration, in this case the nails become green or yellow.

One Treatment Session Is Sometimes Enough

Most of the time, using laser therapy to treat toenail fungus can be successful with only one session. When the case is mild, itll only require a single treatment.

Meanwhile, severe cases may require two or three treatments before the fungus is eliminated. If this is you, space your treatment sessions by a month and spread them across three months.

Laser Treatment For Toenail Fungus

Laser therapy is a treatment for toenail fungus infection , a hard-to-treat infection that changes the appearance and texture of the nail. There are several types of laser treatment options, including those that use light and those that use carbon dioxide . Laser therapy is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this use.

Fungal infections of the nails usually require several laser treatment sessions before they completely resolve. It may take between six and 18 months of consistent treatments for laser therapy to be effective. While these treatments may cause side effects such as pain and/or bleeding of the surrounding area, they are considered safe.

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Laser Toenail Fungus Removal

Hey twinkle toes! Put down your prescription and get rid of unsightly toenail fungus infections quickly and painlessly with laser toenail fungus removal at Viva Day Spa + Med Spa. Most toenail fungus cases can be effectively treated in just two laser sessions. Laser toenail fungus treatments take about 10 minutes.

When Will I See Results

Toe nails grow at a rate of about 1mm per month so it will be between 3 to 6 months before you see any improvement. Complete regrowth of a new healthy nail will normally be anything from 12 to 18 months. The older one is the longer this can take, sometimes up to 2 to 3 years. Finger nails grow at a faster rate so improvement should be noticeable more quickly.

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How Severe The Infections Are

The severity of the fungus infection on the toenail affects the cost of laser therapy as much as any other factor. The severity of the infection implies how bad the fungus infection is.

In some cases, it is very mild while in other cases, it can be terrible and may require special treatment. Toenail fungus infection is no joke and it can quickly get worse.

To put things in perspective, fungus infection is capable of destroying your toenails if you dont act on it quickly. Recently, Rachael Manion, the executive director of CSPA stated the severity of toenail fungus infection.

In the statement, she estimated that one in every five Canadians lives with toenail fungus infection. However, the most important point to remember is that toenail fungus can easily get out of hand.

For a severe infection, more time, resources, care and skill will be needed to treat it. Another major talking point is that the severity of the infection can differ from toe to toe.

You can have a toe filled with a fungus infection and another one with only a slight discolouration. As you may have guessed, treatment for the completely covered toe will cost you more than the other toe with a mild infection.

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A Retrospective Analysis Of The Effects Of Low Level Laser Therapy On Toenail Onychomycosis

Nail onychomycosis, or fungus infection, is typically caused by a fungus called dermatophytes, but may also be caused by yeasts and molds. These microscopic organisms invade the skin through tiny invisible cuts or through a small separation between the nail and the nail bed. Under conditions of warmth and moisture, the fungi grow and spread. The infection begins as a white or yellow spot under the tip of the nail, and as it spreads deeper into the nail, causes unsightly and potentially painful nail discoloration, thickening and the development of crumbling edges. Onychomycosis occurs more commonly in toenails than in fingernails because toenails are often confined in a dark, warm, moist environment inside shoes where fungi can thrive. Toenail fungus affects approximately 23 million people in the US – about 10% of all adults.

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How Does It Work

Laser treatment for toenail fungus works by aiming a 1064nm wave-length laser at the affected area.

The laser delivers light energy to gently heat the toenail bed and kill the toenail fungus and the fungal spores that spread the fungus.

It does this by attacking the fungus in two ways by altering the cellular metabolism of the fungus and damaging the cell components, and with a photo-chemical effect that further damages fungal cell enzymes, proteins and membranes.

In a nutshell? It literally zaps that pesky fungus out of existence.

After the laser treatment takes place and the fungus is killed it requires a little patience to see the results.

The damaged toenail needs to grow out and be replaced by a healthy, fungus free nail, which can take anything from 3 months to a year depending on how much of the toenail was affected.

Take a look at this video to see exactly whats happening under the nail:

DIY laser treatment works a little differently.

In order to be safe, the lasers in the home devices are a pulse laser with a shorter wavelength of around 900 nm which isnt powerful enough to heat the flesh but is still capable of penetrating beneath the surface into the skin tissue.

This is usually coupled with a blue light which works on fighting the fungus cells found on the outer surface of the nail helps to stop the fungus from affecting other toes in the area.

What Is Toenail Fungus

Toenail fungus is a fungal infection called onychomycosis. Tinea unguium is another name for it.

Its an overgrowth of fungi that are often found on your body together with other bacteria. You can get the fungi from someone else too, like at a nail salon if the tools arent properly sterilized. Its the same fungi that cause ringworm, jock itch, or athletes foot.

The problematic infection happens when the fungi get in through the cracks in your toenails and start to overpopulate in, on, or under the nail. It just loves warm, moist environments and often finds that in your toenail, especially when you wear shoes. And its even happier if youre active and sweat in your sports shoes.

Onychomycosis can infect your fingernails too but thats less common since your hands arent confined to a warm, moist environment like your feet are.

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Which Laser Therapy Device Is Best

We swear by our non-thermal cold laser device in treating toenail fungus in our practice. Its called Lunula Laser and its made by Erchonia. Its the first of its kind and the only non-thermal cold laser device to get FDA market clearance to treat onychomycosis.

This is likely thanks to its three successful clinical trials that ensure safety and effectiveness.

Whats so special about this laser? Besides the fact that its safe and effective, we love that it uses a low-level laser wavelength. Thanks to this type of cold laser, theres no discomfort or searing heat pain during treatment like with some of the other laser devices. The treatment also encompasses your entire foot. It requires no operator, so man-made errors are eliminated unlike with other lasers on the market.

The laser doesnt emit smoke fumes and 89% of patients have a positive response to the treatment.

Also, we love that this device is made in the United States.

How Laser Therapy For Toenail Fungus Works

There are various treatment options for combating toenail fungus. Therefore, your knowledge of how laser therapy for toenail fungus works can help in your decision-making process.

One thing you can expect is effectiveness across the board. Some laser therapies use carbon dioxide for the treatment of toenail fungus. Conversely, others use light beams. Irrespective of which treatment your service provider uses, you can expect brilliant results.

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Precautions That Influence How Laser Therapy Works

Your knowledge of how laser therapy for toenail fungus works is incomplete without knowing the precautions. One advantage of these precautions is they can fight the causes of the infection before your treatment.

• Carefully exfoliate your toes and feet to remove dead skin cells. In the process, you may remove fungus present in dead skin tissues.
• Carry an extra pair of cotton socks to wear after your treatment session. You risk reinfection if you wear the same socks you wore to the initial treatment.
• Trim your toenails before your treatment sessions. Some infected toenail parts may be removed in the process.
• Clean your nail polish before your procedure. Failure to completely clean your nail polish can hinder the results of the procedure. Nail polish restricts the laser from penetrating the nail bed.

Also, how you care for your nail afterwards determines the results you get. Patients who go back to habits that caused the fungal infection are likely to have it resurface. Below are things to do after your laser therapy sessions.

• Dry your feet after taking a bath or a swim.

Laser therapy treatments for toenail fungus allow patients to be comfortable removing their shoes in public. Toenail fungus can give off an offensive smell which is often embarrassing.

With proper care of your shoes and toes after your treatment session, you can eliminate the foul smell. Also, be sure to follow additional instructions you may receive from your medical aesthetician after your procedure.

Medical Professionals & Patients Trust Lunula

Medical professionals and patients trust the Lunula nail fungus laser to effectively target the symptoms of onychomycosis. Using cold lasers specifically designed to target toenail fungus.

Lunula is easy and safe to use. As with each of Erchonias low-level lasers, Lunula is held to the highest safety standards and has been tested in the strictest trial conditions for effectiveness and safety. Because the Lunula laser uses extremely low wavelengths and frequencies, most patients experience no discomfort, burning, searing or pain of any kind. Each onychomycosis laser treatment is performed while the patient is awake, reducing downtime and allowing users to go about the rest of their day effortlessly.

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Hnc Nail Cleaning Fungus Treatment Laser Device

The machine has been designed to be easy to use, and wed say its the most intuitive of the treatment devices on this list. Simply place the laser on the affected nail, push the button and off it goes.

The 905nm laser therapy device works on its own accord and will switch off automatically once the treatment is complete. A standard treatment lasts 7 minutes per nail.

Pros

Disadvantages Of Fungus Nail Laser Treatment

Following are some cons, that are also situational dependent.

• It is a bit expensive. The fee for toe-nail fungus is around 600- 800 Dollars, as the laser equipment and strategies used for this treatment are quite rare and expensive for the hospitals and clinics.
• Sometimes through multiple exposure to harsh laser the tissue damage can make it painful for the patient.

So, the laser treatment is fast definitely but at the same time, it not cost friendly method and also not as much reliable as other remedies and ways to cure the nail fungus easily in terms of cost.

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At Home Laser For Toenail Fungus

If someone is unable to go to the physician and tackling toenail fungus is a routine matter now. Then he must get a reliable home laser device to kill toenail fungus.

These are easy to use, and effective. It is a onetime investment however, it is always better to consider the physician advice before buying home laser killer device before making a purchase.

Below is our picked best home laser device for fungus removal from nails reviewed.

Causes Of Toenail Fungus

While sweating in your shoes can cause toenail fungus, you can also get it from a friend. Inadequate care for your toenails can allow the fungus to thrive, leading to an infection. The following are primary causes of toenail fungus:

• Age: Older people are more likely to have toenail fungus as the nails become dry and brittle with age

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Lunula Laser Nail Treatment

Fungal nail infections are frustrating. They are difficult to manage, often unsightly and highly contagious. Cold Laser is currently the safest, most effective fungal nail treatment that is completely pain-free. It is used extensively worldwide and produces much higher success rates than any traditional treatment, including ointments, oral medications and hot lasers. Lunula laser has been proven over numerous clinical trials and is FDA approved. Its success lies in not only destroying the infecting fungus but also in the confidence it restores to patients as they grow clear, healthy nails.

The laser itself operates on a light spectrum that produces a cold laser which completely covers the infected areas. Two laser beams work simultaneously to both destroy the infecting fungus, stimulate blood flow, and get the immune system actively clearing the infection. Its time to finally say goodbye to fungal nails.

What Type Of Lasers Are Used To Treat Onychomycosis

When it comes to treating foot conditions such as Onychomycosis, aka toenail fungus, laser therapy has proven to be the most effective solution to eradicate this stubborn condition to date.

There are two types of laser used to deal with fungal nail infections: hot and cold lasers.

As the word indicates, a hot laser utilises a photothermal mechanism, meaning it uses light energy to heat tissue in the body. When treating Onychomycosis, hot laser devices deliver heat through a precise beam of light aimed at the fungus. In response to the heat, the infected tissue is gasified and decomposed, destroying the fungus and the surrounding skin and nail. Although, in theory, this may sound like an efficacious approach to eradicating fungi, in practice, its not as straightforward as it seems. The hot laser burns the fungus and the nail indiscriminately, which can cause damage to the nail and the nail bed. As a result, your bodys immune system kicks off to repair the nail rather than focus on fighting the fungus. This can lead to the infection to keep recurring.

On the other hand, cold laser utilises photochemistry as its core mechanism. Photochemistry uses light energy to affect or alter biochemical reactions in the body without heat.

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Do Your Toenails Appear Yellow Brittle Or Ugly

Then perhaps you suffer from a toenail infection , a condition that will continue to worsen over time and spread if the infection is not treated. Toenail infections can be caused by heavy foot perspiration, poor shoe/sock ventilation or walking barefoot in damp areas such as a gym or locker room. Until recently, the solutions for unsightly toenail infections were to surgically remove the nail and apply topical treatments or apply medications with potentially negative side effects.

Then came hot lasers which although effective, killed the virus by “heating” the affected area. This heating caused excessive pain and discomfort for the patient and as the hot laser increased the temperature of the foot, it would vaporize, coagulate, and cut tissue creating unwanted plumes of vapors, smoke, and particulate debris. None of these solutions were ideal.

Toenails often serve as barometers of our health they are diagnostic tools providing the initial signal of the presence or onset of systemic diseases. For example, the pitting of nails and increased nail thickness can be manifestations of psoriasis. Concavity-nails that are rounded inward instead of outward-can foretell iron deficiency anemia. Some nail problems can be conservatively treated with topical or oral medications while others require partial or total removal of the nail. Any discoloration or infection on or about the nail should be evaluated by a Podiatrist.

What Is The Best Treatment For Toenail Fungus

Due to the nature of toenail fungus it has been notoriously difficult to treat. Though treatments for toenail fungus such oral and topical medications exist, they either have possible serious adverse effects or lower efficacy . Currently, the best treatment for toenail fungus which is both safe and very effective is high-power laser therapy. Dr. Lobkova creates a patient-specific laser treatment protocol which involves destroying the fungi and their spores as well as preventing re-infection in the future.

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The Procedure Takes Less Than One Hour

Theres no need to be worried if you run a very tight schedule. Individual treatment sessions of laser therapy for toenail fungus usually take less than an hour. This is enough to fit into your tight schedule.

Comparing this treatment to other treatments, a session is simple and fast. However, in some cases, you may need to undergo two sessions or more.