Does Laser Really Work For Toenail Fungus

Other Options For Toenail Fungus Infections

Removal of the toenail is only used when just one nail is infected, but it does work. Light therapy and lasers are also being studied as possible toenail fungus treatments. Laser therapy has shown promise when combined with oral or topical antifungals. A multicenter trial investigating the efficacy of a device, the Pinpointe FootLaser, is currently underway, so stay tuned to that.

Why Is Laser Therapy The Best Option To Treat Toenail Fungus And Why Would I Not Choose Laser Therapy To Begin With

Laser therapy is the better treatment for toenail fungus for many reasons, though I will tell you there is one main reason why it is sometimes not used money. Insurance carriers do not like paying for anything new and/or expensive unless they have to. For whatever reason, insurance companies have so far declined reimbursement for laser treatment, and as a result, you will have to fork out the money to cover the cost. And it can be expensive sometimes I have seen places charge over $1,000 for EACH treatment, or Ive seen places nickel-and-dime you to pay several hundred PER TOE! In my humble opinion, that is ridiculous. I would rather more people get the treatment and tell someone they know how great it works. Remember, 1 out of 5 people you know have toenail fungus just like you, and often they have no idea they can affordably get treated. With this philosophy, I get plenty of people getting the treatment who otherwise could not, or would not, pay for this safe, effective service. Please call our office at 515 FEET or send us a message through our website at www.GWAPodiatry.com so we can fill you in on the latest affordable special offer we have. We run them all the time, and do our best to make sure you can pay for this otherwise expensive treatment, however possible.

Getting back to why this laser treatment is ideal, here are a few of the reasons why you might consider giving it a try:

Is There Any Medical Evidence Suggesting That Laser Treatments Actually Work For Fungal Infections In Toenails

Asked by Deb 2229 votes

A

Laser treatments for nail fungus have become fairly common since the procedure was approved by the Food and Drug Administration four years ago. Several kinds of laser therapies are now available, but there is limited evidence that the treatments work.

The appeal of lasers is that they selectively heat and destroy harmful fungi while sparing healthy surrounding tissue. And some small studies and lab tests suggest they can kill the fungi and cure the condition.

But in one of the best studies to date, published last year in The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that laser treatments produced no improvements in patients with toenail fungus, even after five sessions.

The procedures are generally not covered by insurance, and a course of treatment typically involves multiple sessions, each costing hundreds of dollars, said Dr. Andrea Bershow, the director of the nail procedure clinic at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System.

I think we want it to work, but the evidence just isnt quite there yet, said Dr. Bershow, who that reviewed current research. The studies that have shown efficacy have been small, they havent been randomized controlled trials, and most of them have been funded by the actual laser companies themselves.

Dr. Bershow is frequently asked about laser treatments, but she never recommends them.

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How Did I Get Toenail Fungus To Begin With

Fungus is everywhere and most of the time thats not a problem. Our immune system is pretty good at fighting off any infections. However, when the immune system is weakened, such as with diabetes, chronic illness, and other diseases, then fungus has the ability to easily set up shop. So, a weakened immune system is often the culprit and increases your risk of getting a fungal toenail infection. In diabetes or vascular disease, where blood flow is not that ideal going down to the toes, the fungus will often become a problem.

Furthermore, a good percentage of the population is simply more susceptible to fungus infections. This is something you may inherit from your parents and have no control over. So if your mom, dad, or aunt Edna have always had those awful, thick, yellow toenails, then there is a good chance you may eventually get them too .

Guys may tend to get toenail fungus more than ladies, and older people tend to get toenail fungus simply because there has been more time on this planet for those toenails to be exposed to the fungus

Laser Therapy Is Effective And Fast

The toenail fungus is the most effective treatment for the toenail fungus removal. It would not take much time, and the results are quite promising.

It is not a painful treatment, so you do not have to wait for weeks until the fungus dies.

The average duration to kill the fungus through medications is 4 months, bearing pain for four or more months is quite difficult, so laser treatment is the only fast way to solve this problem.

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Laser Treatments For Toenail Fungus

Laser treatments for toenail fungus are an effective way to treat toenail fungus . These procedures are becoming more and more common, and because they have no recovery time, patients back on their feet immediately.

These lasers heat and destroy the harmful fungi in the toenail and finger nail. The lasers spare the healthy surrounding tissue killing the fungus and curing the infection.

Nail Corrects laser treatments take only minutes . Consultations are free.

Why Do Laser Treatments for Toenail Fungus Infections Work?

These lasers were designed specifically to treat toenail fungus. Nail Correct uses the Cutera Genesis Plus.

In just a fraction of a second, high-powered laser pulses pass through the toenail into the nail bed and nail growth area. It heats and kills the dermatophytes that cause, and make up toenail fungus. While visible changes will not be seen immediately, over the next three to six months, as the nail grows, the patient will begin to be able to see a clear and healthy nail.

Toenail growth is often quite slow and it can take anywhere from six months to a year for a full, new nail to grow in.

What does the laser treatment feel like?

Typically, patients feel a bit of a warming sensation from the laser. There may also be a slight pressure. As the laser hits the nail plate, it may cause a harmless snapping sound.

How long will the entire procedure take?

Does Laser Toenail Fungus Removal Work

Is it safe to paint toenails after the treatment?

How to get started?

Study Of The Use Of Low Level Laser Light Therapy To Treat Toenail Fungus

Information from the National Library of Medicine

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How Laser Toenail Fungus Therapy Works

Toenail fungus is an unpleasant sight to behold. It can also be quite painful. Thankfully, advanced treatment methods like laser therapy can treat it effectively. Like many others battling with toenail fungus, its only normal to have questions about how laser therapy works. Through this blog, well answer all of these questions.

With an 83.7% efficacy rate, laser therapy for toenail fungus results are visible after several sessions. While some people opt for topical treatments to cure toenail fungus, it isnt always effective. There is a less than 5% possibility of topical treatments curing toenail fungus.

In most cases, patients who use creams for toenail fungus complain of it resurfacing barely a year after. However, with the technology that laser therapy uses in curing toenail fungus, the infection is unlikely to resurface.

Tired of trying several treatments for toenail fungus without positive results? Here, well shine a light on how laser therapy for toenail fungus works and what to expect. In addition to this, well discuss important details to know about laser therapy for toenail fungus. Lets get right into it!

Hnc Home Nail Fungus Treatment Laser Device

One of the most common benefits of purchasing a nail fungus killing laser for home, is affordability. You only have to invest in once. No need to visit the doctors again and again. It is an easy to use, fast laser machine to kill fungus.

It works on the blue laser technology to kill toenail fungus, and to enhance its effect it has the pulse laser technology, both these technologies are to bring fast therapeutic results.

Do not worry, it is not harmful for the adjacent healthy tissues. The pulse laser technology is designed in a way to kill only the damaged and effected tissues.

You can carry this machine very easily, it comes in a small backpack, a complete package with all the essentials. It comes with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery.

For everyday use, you may have to recharge it, and it can be a bit annoying. But it makes sense, the laser technology requires a lot of energy for a single shot.

That is why, the battery is never enough to fulfil this need, and drains too fast but the device is really worth it.

Below is a results image of a fungus effected person for his toenail. He has captured at different times and still was using the device.

As you can clearly see the difference between first and third image. The device works really well. However it took this guy approx 28 weeks to get final good results.

Here is the final image provided by him and at that time too, he was continue on it.

All the results are clearly visible and are very much satisfying.

Features

Cons

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Does A Laser Treatment For Toenail Fungus Work And How

Did you know that laser toenail fungus removal treatment is FDA approved?

Those with little or no experience with toenail fungus might think that this is a bit extreme as there are ample drugs available for fungus removal. What a majority of people dont know is that most medicines, in this case, are very perilous. Some of these can put your heart and liver at risk, which is why people prefer going for the laser treatment alternative.

The laser treatment comes with its own risks such as bleeding or mild pain. But, it is still a much safer option than the usual medicines and doesnt have any long-term consequences. Besides all this, it is important for people to remember that sometimes it takes longer than expected to treat this condition. Some patients require several treatments before they see results.

In this blog, were going to address all the questions that you might have related to alaser treatment for nail fungus.

How Do I Identify Toenail Fungus? What does it Look Like?

Identifying nail fungus is not that difficult. The change is very much obvious. Even if you havent had a fungal infection before, you will be able to identify it easily as it usually affects the surrounding tissue. So, dont be surprised if it begins appearing on other toenails as well.

How The Hyperblue Plus Laser System Helps

The FDA-cleared HyperBlue PLUS laser system works by using specific wavelengths that penetrate through your toenail to kill the fungus that lives in the nail plate and surrounding tissue.

Unlike traditional treatments, which include topical and oral antifungal medications, the HyperBlue PLUS laser targets fungus embedded in your nail beds beneath your toenail, which is hard to reach with other therapies. But you can rest easy knowing the laser doesnt affect healthy nails or the surrounding tissues.

The HyperBlue PLUS laser treatment typically involves three sessions over eight weeks, though the number of sessions depends on each patients individual needs and may be useful in preventing future infections. The process is fast and easy, taking 10-30 minutes, and doesnt cause any discomfort or side effects.

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There Is No Downtime In The Treatment

Immediately after the treatment, you can resume normal activities without any restrictions. This may not be the case for other treatment options, especially nail removal.

Nail removal may result in an inability to wear shoes until the toes are healed. Additionally, unlike surgical removal of infected nails, laser therapy for toenail fungus is non-invasive.

The Effectiveness Of Laser Treatment

Laser treatment for toenail fungus has been used to cure thousands of different cases. Before receiving the treatment, many patients had tried every other option.

Aside from laser, the most common treatment for nail fungus is Lamisil, which is a pharmaceutical drug. Studies show that Lamisil works for about two out of every three individuals. It works for a little over half of all patients who use it.

The problem is that there is a serious risk with taking Lamisil. In some cases, people who took Lamisil experienced severe liver damage. There are also many other side effects associated with the drug, such as rash, headache and diarrhea.

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What Is Laser Toenail Fungus Removal

Laser treatment for toenail fungus wasnt approved by the FDA until 2010, and since then, it has grown rapidly as a common practice.

The appeal of this solution comes in the concept and possibilities the laser treatment provides. The lasers are able to heat and destroy selective toenail fungi, while leaving the remaining tissue of the surrounding area unaffected.

This not only rids you of the initial problem, but ensures your toe can recover smoothly, without a traumatic healing process. No excess dead skin and no wounds, like other treatments or surgeries may cause just fixing the issue and healing the damage already done.

Additionally, since fungus has the risk of spreading to anything it touches, and hiding in tight places, the laser works by killing it everywhere with minimal contact, so it cant spread.

During most procedures, patients dont have to undergo any sedatives, and instead remain fully aware during the process. No need to clear your schedule it can be a day-trip to the doctors office.

For the most part, patients are able to walk away from the procedure completely fine, only experiencing perhaps a bit of tenderness. Theres no recovery period necessary, though these things are based on the severity of the condition and the opinion of your healthcare provider.

Laser Treatment Compared To Other Options

Laser treatments are typically more effective than other ways of treating onychomycosis. This infection can be treated with topical antifungal medications or oral antifungals, and there are over-the-counter, as well as prescription options. Oral antifungals cause systemic side effects and are not totally effective for curing onychomycosis. Topical treatments tend to be safe, but are not very effective.

Research shows there’s an approximately 45% improvement of onychomycosis with topical medicine and approximately 40% to 66% improvement with oral medication.

However, there does seem to be a range in the efficacy with all of these treatments. Using them consistently while avoiding side effects can be tedious. And combining treatments may be more effective than using a single treatment approach.

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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.

Does Laser For Toenail Fungus Work

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How Do They Work

These at-home products use something called pulse laser or low-level laser therapy, it is also sometimes referred to as cold laser since the low levels of light are not enough to heat your bodys tissue. These products that treat fungus are mostly a combination of pulse laser radiation and blue light energy. The pulse laser goes deep into the tissue and target causative pathogens that are on the nail bed. They use a wavelength of around 900 nm, so the laser can penetrate deeply into the tissue, while the blue light works on fighting the fungus cells found on the outer surface of the nail. The blue light also helps to stop the fungus from affecting other toes in the area.

At home lasers are very easy to use you just put the unit on the infected area and press the operating button. The treatment light will begin to blink, and the device will emit visible blue light. In general, they will run for about 7 minutes and shut off when the 7 minutes are up. For it to work effectively, you will need to treat each infected area daily. You can treat the nail up to three times a day, although most users only use it once a day, as it can be time-consuming. The standard treatment when using a home product is 3 to 6 months for the fungus to be cleared up.

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