Details On Laser Treatment For Toenail Fungus

By Marissa Velazquez


Toenail fungal infection is also known as onychomycosis and is a situation in which nails of toes become thick, hard and have crumbling edges. In the initial stages, the infection may appear as spots that are small, white and spread gradually to affect the entire nail. One or more nails can be affected. Just like most other fungal infections, it is difficult to treat and occur over and over again. Laser treatment for toenail fungus is an option that is effective and removes the infection completely.

Lasers come in various models and these can be used. The Patholase laser for instance has not gotten full approval by the FDA and is thus rarely used. It is not usually very effective. There are a couple other methods that are more effective. Patients can look to get improvement within six months. Lasers are concentrated light beams which vaporize tissues in areas to be treated. So as to treat the affected areas selectively, lasers of different wavelengths are used.

The fungi are destroyed by being targeted to allow the nail and skin in surrounding areas not to be affected. The fungus is heated and then killed, with the tissues in the surrounding areas remaining unaffected. The various laser brands differ in the way they treat diseases. However, the main basis of their functioning is elimination of the fungi using heat.

During initial infection, there is evaluation of the nails affected, the symptoms, before they are filled down. Lasers get maneuvered over affected nails and are even able to be used over those that do not have the infection. One session goes for approximately 30 minutes or so. Whereas some patients will need just a single session, others will need multiple sessions.

The clearing of the nails after treatments do not occur instantaneously. One will need between 6 and 12 months for the affected nails to grow. This is what will determine if the therapy was successful. The downside of the procedures is the cost that is incurred. The costs could differ from one provider to the next but are at an average of $1000.People looking to undergo the procedure should compare different prices and treatment plans to come up with the best. While the use of traditional techniques would be cheaper, they are not as effective and will require several sessions.

Most of the patients never experience any sort of pain. A warm sensation or a pinprick may be experienced by some people. Due to the ability of the infection to recur, there are care techniques recommended by doctors to minimize the chances of re-infection. The fact that the fungi are present everywhere in the environment makes recurrence a constant challenge.

Having a pedicure or painting nails is not prohibited. Polish can be applied after the procedure is done with. However, patients will be required to eradicate any polish from their nails and any decorations before the appointment day.

Laser treatment for toenail fungus may be covered by insurance covers. However, it is in most cases considered as an aesthetic procedure. As such, the majority of health insurance plans will offer no coverage for it.




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