Here Are 5 Things That You Should Know About Laser Treatment For Fungal Toenails
1. It Is 85% 90% Effective While the laser for fungal toenails is the best treatment option available at this time, it is not 100% effective. In a few of the most severe cases, it may be necessary to implement alternative treatment options such as permanent removal of the nail. That is why it is important to have it treated as soon as it is noticed.
2. It Is Not Painful and Does Not Require Anesthesia Laser treatment for fungal toenails is performed in the office and usually lasts 20-30 minutes. No anesthesia is required as it does not cause pain and patients put their shoes on and go about the rest of their day with no aftercare needed.
3. One Treatment Is Usually Enough In over 90% of the cases, one laser treatment is enough to eliminate the problem however, in some of the more stubborn cases it is sometimes necessary to repeat treatment once or twice more to completely eradicate the fungus.
4. Nail Fungus Can Come Back Even though the laser may have completely eliminated the fungus, it can always come back, just like the common cold or any other type of infection. However, with continued weekly application of a topical antifungal polish for protection re-infection is unlikely.
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Why Choose Arizona Foot Doctors For Nail Fungus Removal
At Arizona Foot Doctors of Scottsdale, we use the safe, effective PinPointe FootLaser for gentle, painless toenail laser treatment. Each appointment lasts about 30 minutes, and you can go right back to your regular activities with no downtime. After laser foot treatment, our podiatrists will recommend follow-up visits to assure that the nails are recovering and determine if additional treatments are necessary. When you schedule a consultation with our team, youll learn more about laser toenail fungus cost and what to expect during the procedure.
Is Using A Laser To Treat Nail Fungus A New Procedure
Lasers have been used extensively for the past 7-10 years for the treatment of nail fungus, resulting in numerous clinical studies. Laser manufacturers have used these results over the years to learn how to better design their equipment, enabling them to maximize therapeutic effects. The Fox Diode Laser, designed and manufactured in Germany, is the latest generation of laser designed specifically for nail fungus therapy. The Fox Diode laser has been used successfully in Germany and Europe for over two years and received Health Canada approval for therapeutic treatment of nail fungus in November 2012. We considered it the most advanced laser for the treatment of nail fungus.
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How Does Laser Treatment Compare To Drug Treatment In Terms Of Its Success Rate
Recent 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 systemic antimycotics drugs, that are used over a period of several months are known to have cure rates of only 40 to 80%.
Complementary & Alternative Treatment For Nail Fungus
In addition to laser toenail removal treatment, there are at-home remedies and natural treatments you should consider if you want to eliminate fungus faster and prevent of coming back. As you might already know, onychomycosis has a recurrence rate of 10% to 50%.
1. Change your diet
According to Dr. Ken Berry, by eliminating refined sugar, high carbs from your diet, youre actually killing the fungus. How? Well by including fibres, vitamins and minerals into your body youll be creating an inhospitable environment for any fungus. Also, for a faster and more efficient treatment he suggest to be barefoot as much as possible and get five minutes per day of sun exposure.
He states that exposure to the sun is hostile to foot fungus. Also make sure to keep nails trimmed, but not around the corners, as you might get an infection.
2.Tea Tree Oil Foot Soak with Epsom Salt
A foot soak is another fantastic complementary way of treating toenail fungal infection. The Tea Tree Oil soak offers a pleasant and relaxing way of treating severe fungal infections on the nails. A foot soaks can treat both toenail fungus and athletes foot simultaneously.
The Tea Tree Oil Foot Soak with Epsom salt is one of the best options for foot care available in the market. It is made using sea salt, Epsom salt, Australia tea oil, and other oils to help treat toenail fungus naturally. It dries out the fungus and helps soften the cracked skin and nails.
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If I Have Only One Infected Nail Can I Treat Only That One And Save Time And Cost
Unfortunately, no. The reason for this is that if one of your nails is infected, the chances are that your other nails are infected as well. To allow the treatment to be successful and prevent future self infections, it is best to treat all the nails at once. An exception to this is for the treatment of an isolated fungal infection related to acrylic nail air pockets. In these incidences, we will treat the one affected finger nail.
Can You Diagnose Toenail Fungus
It can be difficult to differentiate toenail fungus from other nail conditions. Often it just looks like white spots under the nail. But it can spread, including internally.
If its hard to tell whats going on with your nail, your doctor will take a sample of your nail and test it. A special dye is used to examine fungal spores via a microscope.
To diagnose what is the cause of the infection, a fungal culture will be taken from the sample.
On average, this can take about 3 weeks. You have to keep your feet protected from further fungi outbreaks during this time.
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Are There Any Side Effects Or Issues To Consider With At Home Treatments
At home laser treatments are considered a safe and effective way to help treat onychomycosis. These products are painless and do not harm or affect the surrounding tissues of the treated area. There is also no noticeable side effect or complications with at home laser treatment for fungus.
The biggest problem with at home devices is that they take time to work. While you can do them in the comfort of your own home and each treatment only takes 7 minutes , you will have to do the procedures for 3 to 4 months to determine their effectiveness. Some people may find this to be too much of a time investment.
What Types Of Treatments Are Available For Toenail Fungus
Until recently, toenail fungus treatment had been limited to topical anti-fungal creams/nail lacquer and oral medication. With limited success and many downsides, these treatments have become secondary to the more effective laser treatments.
The antifungal cream/lacquer has the lowest success rate, ranging from 5-12% . Unless you have extremely mild toenail fungus, topical treatments are very unlikely to effectively penetrate into, underneath, and around the affected toenail.
Prescribed oral medications work somewhat better . Howeverand this is big, however oral antifungal medications have significant medical risks and often interreact with other prescription drugs. Oral medications should not be prescribed without consulting a primary care physician, in order to ensure safety and protection during the months you would be taking these pills.
Side effects might include liver failure, rash, loss of taste, or change of taste , headaches, stomach discomfort, and lupus-like symptoms.
Topical medications require daily applications for at least a year, and often longer. Even then, a lifetime of application on some level is required to prevent a recurrence. Oral medications, similarly, require several months of pills and are usually associated with recurrence at some point afterward.
Studies show the success in clearing fungal infection through laser treatment was good enough for laser treatment to be FDA cleared and is now considered the ideal method to treat onychomycosis.
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How Much Does Toenail Laser Fungus Removal Cost
At our clinic, we include laser fungal therapy and treatment as a covered benefit.
- While it is true that laser therapy is needed, it may require an in-person evaluation, as there are other options if it is decided that it is not worth it.
- In most cases, laser toenail fungus therapy treatments can be in the range of what a standard co-pay would be anyway.
- Visit us for a no-obligation consultation to see if laser toenail fungus therapy is beneficial for you.
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How Much Does It Cost
The cost of toenail fungus treatment with laser technology can range from $700 to $1,500 for a treatment course. It isnt covered by the health insurance since it is considered an aesthetic procedure. However, the cost of toenail fungus laser treatment generally will range based on the severity of the infection and only your physician or a podiatrist can determine if you need the laser toenail fungus treatment and the number of the treatments necessary.
How Long Does Laser Removal Take
How long does laser removal take? Toenail fungus can be a long-lasting, difficult-to-treat condition. If you have toenail fungus, you probably want to have it removed immediately. Unfortunately, there is no miracle cure for fungus. No treatment will instantly remove the harm that has been done to your nail from fungus.
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What Are The Signs And Symptoms
Initially, a white dot shows up on the nail, which increases in size with time. When fungus builds up under the nail, it can cause:
- Nail thickening or cracks
How do fungal nail infections spread?
- Fungal nail infections are often contagious from nail to nail
- Direct contact with an infected person
- Through sharing surfaces like floors, showers, socks, and shoes.
- The fungus requires warm and moist environments for growth. Public pools, shower areas, gyms, and changing rooms are the most common places for contracting a fungal nail infection.
What are the Risk Factors?
Factors that can lead to an increased risk of developing nail fungus include:
- Old age: reduced blood circulation, more years of fungus exposure, and slow nail growth
- Heavy sweats
- Walking barefoot in damp areas, like swimming pools, gyms & shower rooms
- History of a skin or nail injury or a skin condition like psoriasis
- Patients with diabetes, circulatory problems, or a weak immune system
How Does Laser Toenail Fungus Removal Work
Spectrum Laser Aesthetics uses the Astanza laser to target the affected toenail with intense pulsed light. This laser light energy moves through your toenail to the fungus living on your nail bed, heating it to destroy it.
A single laser toenail fungus removal treatment is usually sufficient to destroy the fungus causing your toenails infection. That said, some resistant strains of toenail fungus require multiple treatments. Spectrum Laser Aesthetics offers as many treatments as you need to get healthy, normal toenails.
Once the fungus is killed off, your nail continues to grow you dont have to worry about losing any toenails with this treatment. Once your nail grows out long enough to trim away any of it that was affected by the fungus, youre left with completely healthy toenails.
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How Long Does The Procedure Take
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The amount of time varies on the degree of involvement of the nails. Very thick nails are mechanically reduced to a more normal thickness with specialized equipment. The laser is then applied typically taking only a few minutes. Overall, a visit for consultation and treatment will usually take about 30 minutes.
Is The Cost Of Laser Therapy For Toenail Fungus Worth It
For starters, there are several types of laser devices for administering laser therapy. All these devices show varying degrees of efficacy according to reports and reviews from users.
Furthermore, these devices have due approval from the proper departments in the Canadian Ministry of Health. But, that does not imply they all work with the same level of efficacy.
Laser therapy devices work by temporarily reducing the discolouration in the infected nails.
Immediately after the therapy, patients will start to notice some temporary clarity on their toenails. After a while, itll return to the colour before the procedure. This will then start to clear off gradually.
The long-lasting curing is more gradual and may take weeks or even months. Studies indicate that patients notice a 61% cure rate within 16 weeks of the therapy. The study also shows a 91% cure rate within 180 days after the procedure. So, after laser therapy, its only a matter of time before the fungus infection disappears.
To answer the question is the cost of laser therapy for toenail fungus worth it? Well say yes, it is very well worth it. It shows a higher cure rate than all the other treatment options.
It does better than the 44% cure rate of topical medication and the 40% cure rate of oral medication. And, it has a lesser risk of side effects in comparison with other available treatment options.
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Is The Laser Treatment A Good Idea
There is a wide spectrum of treatment options for fungal toenail infection among which the laser toenail fungus removal treatment is the best.
The laser toenail fungus removal is a better option for you if you really care to have a clean and beautiful foot. Even though the fungal infection of the toenail is not so painful it is cosmetically disfiguring with yellowish and ugly looking nails. The laser toenail fungus removal is simple procedures where the laser beams are directed or focused over the infected nail and kill the pathogens responsible for the infection.
The laser toenail fungus removal is the treatment of choice if you wish to get your nail cured and get a new nail within a few days of treatment. The laser toenail fungus removal is a short and effective procedure.
The laser toenail fungus removal takes hardly 10 minutes per sitting. The number of sittings is decided according to the severity of the infection. If the infection is mild then you may need only 1 or 2 sittings whereas if the infection is severe it may be 5-6 sittings.
The laser toenail fungus removal is a painless procedure. The infrared laser beam is directly focused on the infected area leaving the underlying healthy tissue intact. Hence there is no pain in laser toenail fungus removal.
How Does Laser Removal Work For The Toenail Fungus
You’re probably interested to learn how a laser works on fungal nail infection.
Basically, a device will send a ray of energy heating the surrounding tissue. The laser goes so deep that it will affect both the toenail as well as the toenail bed. In other words, it will treat both the surface issue as well as the underneath problem.
It basically kills off the microorganisms that are present on our bodies. At the same time, the experts will try their best to minimize the negative impact. In other words, they will try to reduce the chance of bleeding or some other negative effects.
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Why Use An At Home Laser For Nail Fungus
Nail fungus, also known as Onychomycosis, is a fungal infection of the nail. It is caused when microscopic spores of fungus infect the skin. As it gets deeper into the nail, it may cause thickening, discoloration, and crumbling edges of the nail. It can lead to nails that change colors to white, black, yellow or green. Often it will become inflamed and painful, and in some cases, the fungus can make it difficult to walk. It will not go away on its own and must be treated to get rid of it.
There are many great reasons to use a laser to treat fungus.
- It is a non-invasive treatment- You can use the product in the privacy of your own home, with no need to go to time-consuming doctors appointments.
- Easy to use
- No side effects
- Effective results
Do Lasers Work Better Than The Medical Approaches For The Treatment And Cure Of Onychomycosis
Since laser treatment is very new, the data to answer this question are just not available yet, while there is substantial evidence to support the efficacy of medical therapy. Most avid commercial radio station listeners can testify to the prevalence of advertisements touting laser therapy for abnormal nails. Recent reviews of the subject by various journals lament the lack of blinded comparison studies without control groups of sufficient numbers of patients to prove the effectiveness of lasers in treating and curing onychomycosis. A critical interpretation of these studies indicates that laser treatment of onychomycosis is not ready for prime time and should only be used in situations where everything else has failed. It is probably reasonably safe, but its efficacy remains to be proven especially when compared to other accepted treatments. In addition, no long term studies of effectiveness are available, so short-term gains may not translate into cures. As far as cost is concerned, it is unlikely that laser treatment would be less expensive than current medical therapy.
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