Laser Onychomycosis (Fungal Nail) treatment:
What is Onychomycosis?
As the name indicates, the condition is a fungal infection that affects the nail bed and the nail plate; most commonly in the toes but can also occur in the fingers.
Onychomycosis or fungal toe nail present itself as a thickened, usually yellow colour, spilt or crumbly nail. Surprising enough the condition is a lot more widespread than people think, affecting 1 in 2 of the population at the age of 70 and beyond.
The fungal condition is mostly a cosmetic condition and as such lends itself to laser treatment very well. The fungus ,if left to its own devices, can spread from nail to nail and in severe cases can cause permanent damage to the nail. The fungus feeds off Keratin, which is part of the make-up of our nail. The waste product of this digestion is called keratin debris, and it is this which gives the yellow appearance. In rare cases, Onychomycosis can also become painful if left untreated.
What causes onychomycosis?
Fungal toe nail can be caused, or contributed to, by the following:
- Damage to the nail (allowing fungus to invade)
- Nail biting
- Smoking
- Poor foot hygiene
- Ill-fitting footwear
- Diabetes
- Psoriasis
What are the treatment options for Onychomycosis?
- Oral medications (these can cause side-affects)
- Topical treatments
- Home remedies
- Laser treatment
- Surgery
All of these treatments have varied success. The most successful of which is Laser treatment.
How did laser treatment for Onychomycosis come about?
Some time ago. restoration work was being performed on some old artwork. Laser was being used to kill fungal growth and a doctor hit upon the idea that if a laser could do that on a painting there was no reason why it would not work on a human.
As a result of this idea, laser treatments for onychomycosis rocketed and is now performed by a variety of leading manufactures lasers.
How it works.
Deep, pulse-profile heating of the nail bed stimulates the killing of parasitic fungus. The natural growth and immune processes of the body are then able to restore the nail to its pristine state. Compared to traditional methods, the effects of laser light spreads evenly throughout the tissue and are not subject to either the limits of chemical diffusion, as are topical's, or the induction of hepatoxic side effects, as is the case with oral medications.
All of the nails should be treated, during every treatment, just in case. Laser light can also effectively treat fungus which has infected skin tissue. The Nd:YAG laser penetrates the nail efficiently, safely and evenly heating the nail bed to an appropriate temperature which results in the elimination of the invading fungi and the restoration of the nail.
Laser treatment can take upwards of 4- 6 treatments to be successful, but the nail wil take another 12 months to grow out completely clear. There have been much advancement in this treatment process to make the laser treatments even more effective and long lasting results more likely.
Contact the Laser Market today to discuss this treatment further.
