About

You may suffer from onychomycosis if you have one or more of the following symptoms:

• Thickening nail
• Crumbly or brittle nail
• Nail distorted in shape or separated
• Nail with no luster or shine
• A white, yellow, orange or brown coloured nail
• Debris build-up under the nail
• Persistent athletes foot or tinea pedis

Fungal nail infections of the toes and finger nails are difficult to treat because fungus is persistent and can get deep within the hard nail or deep under the nail bed. Topical treatments such as Curanail are licensed for mild infection affecting up to two nails but are unable to penetrate well under the nail. More extensive infections require a stronger approach requiring tablets such as terbinafine (Lamisil) or Sporanox (itraconazole) which are used with some success. Cure rates with tablets are between 60-80% but there are concerns about side effects due to a 3-6 month treatment time.

Solution

Laser therapy uses light at particular wavelengths to interact with fungus without affecting the healthy skin or body being targeted to specific features of the nail and fungus.

Treatment

As above, treatment commences with a consultation and discussion of causative and preventative methods. The thickened and fungal areas of the nail are thinned with a water file to remove as much loose fungus and nail as possible. An initial 3 month treatment phase whereby we aim to use the Nd YAG laser 1 time a week for much of this time (minimum 6 sessions, aim for 10+).