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Laser Treatment For Toenail Fungus Showing Promising Results

By Allyson Burke


This nail condition is a relatively common one. You may suffer with it yourself, or you may know someone who suffers with it. The good news is that laser treatment for toenail fungus is showing some very promising results. It is a somewhat new procedure, but so far, it seems to be doing a good job.

Toe fungus looks very ugly. It can cause the nails to become hard, thick, and discolored. It can also cause them to become very soft and start to peel. It sometimes results in the total loss of the toenail. It is more common in the elderly and is much more prevalent in males than in females.

The particular fungi that cause this condition are called dermatophytes. They tend to thrive in moist environments like the bath or the gym. It can affect one or several nails at the same time. It usually first appears as a small white spot. It can then quickly spread.

Common other treatments are both oral medications and/or topical medications. Neither, however, have been terribly successful. The oral medications are successful about fifty percent of the time, and the topical usually only work about ten percent of the time. It had typically been difficult to treat. It also tends to reoccur even when the treatments do work.

Using lasers to treat this condition seems to have much better results. The doctor uses a specific type of laser for only a short time period. It heats the fungi, and then vaporizes and kills it. Varying wavelengths are available depending on the needs of each individual patient. The most severe cases may need repeat treatments.

There have been no adverse side effects shown with those who use this method. Unlike the other ways to treat which did sometimes have bad side effects for the user. It is done as an office procedure and will take around twenty minutes to complete. One positive for using this method to treat is that no damage is done to the nail or the toe. Shoes may be worn immediately after the procedure. It may take several treatments. It all depends on the problem's severity. This is something you need to discuss with your doctor.

Unfortunately, most medical insurances do not cover the cost for this procedure. They usually consider it to be a cosmetic condition rather than a medical one. You will need to discuss the cost with the doctor before the process begins.

Laser treatment for toenail fungus has shown some very promising results. It seems to have cleared up the nails for at least 90 percent of the patients. Even though the unhealthy nails clear up rather quickly, be prepared for the new nails to take a while to grow back. Also, since this is a relatively new technique, it is unknown if the results will be permanent. Studies are still underway, however, at the present time, it appears to be very effective. Discuss any questions you may have with your own doctor.




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