A thick, crumply and unsightly nail is mostly a cosmetic concern. If you believe this, think again. Toenail fungus growth is slow and mostly painless; however, if the fungi growth goes beyond your toenails, then the smallest cut or scratch on your skin can lead to a dangerous infection. Therefore, timely diagnosis and proper treatment at a foot and nail clinic are highly recommended.
Treating your foot fungus should not be just limited to over-the-counter antifungal creams and medicines. These alone won’t work and the toxicity build-up in your liver would be a different story altogether. Medicines work slowly and in some cases, patients need to take pills to kill the fungi growth for more than nine months. Really, really long duration right? If you are not patient and want to get rid of the thick-yellowing toenails, then laser fungal nail treatment could be a smarter option for you.
Over time, laser treatments have evolved a lot. Thanks to technology and innovation, a laser beam can almost instantaneously get you results that you could otherwiseget by lathering an anti-fungal cream or swallowing antifungal pills for months. If you are concerned about the efficacy, side effects and duration of laser therapy treatment, then this is the right post for you. Today’s blog is majorly focused on patients, who took pills for months but noticed zero progress in the hard-to-kill toenail fungus infections and are now searching for a fungal laser nail treatment.
What to expect from nail fungus laser treatment?
Traditionally, laser devices emits energy pulses andkill germs, promoting healthy toenail growth. But this won’t happen overnight. n mild cases, only a few sessions are neededto get rid of the pesky toenail fungus. For more severe infections, that might feellike a never ending story - people are expected to have patience and must come for multiple laser therapy sessions.
penetrate through the nail bed and target the problem area directly. Research and development, enabled foot doctors to use two different types of laser therapies to penetrate through the nail bed and target the problem area directly. i.e. thermal laser and cold laser.
The thermal laser increases temperature and decomposes the tissue affected by fungus. However, an increase in temperature is certainly not comfortable. Those with sensitive skin or a lower pain threshold might not find this treatment choice feasible.
Those who can’t bear the heat can try the wonderful, pain-free and side-effect free cold laser treatment to kill foot fungus. Repeated treatments are typically needed, but lunula laser is considered the Gold Standard of all fungal nail treatments and is recommended widely for its higher efficacy rates.
Cold laser or lunula laser works effectively and combines the anti-fungal effects with regenerative benefits to offer quick results. Although the Lunula laser is an advanced treatment choice, due to the high-cost setup, you won’t be able to find cold laser treatment options at every foot clinic.
Is it worth paying for antifungal laser treatment?
Research has reaffirmed that laser therapy is highly efficacious as compared to oral and topical prescription. With a success rate of more than 95%, laser treatment becomes the highly recommended solution. Asa wavelength of 900 nm is considered uncomfortable considering the increase in localised temperature, the pain-free cold laser treatment with 405 nm and 635 nm wavelengths is an appealing alternative. It is definitely worth trying laser treatments, especially the lunula laser because:
- It is totally pain free, anyone can try it with total confidence
- It practically eliminates the need for taking anti fungalpills and the likelihood of developing liver toxicity
- The side-effect free treatment even negates the risk of developing microbial resistance
- Dual wavelength laser beams, effectively treat the entire nail bed and reduce the recurrence of fungal infection.
How long do you have to go for laser therapy sessions?
Patients dealing with mild infections can regain the lost happiness of their lives in just two sessions. For more severe infections, typically four sessions are needed to completely treat the nail bed and the surrounding skin.
If the infection is relatively newer, you can expect healthy nail growth within just three months. The sessions are no longer than 30 minutes withrepeat visits to the podiatrist’s clinic typically within a one-week intervals.
Is it going to cost a lot?
Cold laser, the Gold Standard of foot fungal treatments, is definitely a high-end choice. However, if you look at the bigger picture, this treatment is totally affordable. Let’s say, someone is dealing with a fungal infection and taking pills for over nine months to get a clear nail regrowth. The total cost for oral and topical prescriptions is somewhere around $600 and the risk of recurring infections is always present. On the other hand, the never-ending story of pesky toenail fungus can easily be put to an end with cold laser therapy. Therefore, more upfronton effective treatment is totally worth it.
To learn more about the cost and efficacy standards of cold laser treatment, consider visiting a board-certified Podiatrist Sunshine Coast. You can also book an appointment at the highly recognised Suncoast Podiatry Clinic. They have been successfully treating toenail fungus with Lunula Laser.