WHAT EXACTLY IS TOENAIL FUNGUS?

Toenail fungus (which is also known as Onychomycosis) is a fungal infection of the toe nails, characterized by discoloration, yellow streaks, or white patches, or even thickening of the toenail itself. Occasionally the fungus will also turn the flesh beneath the nail a dark color. The nails themselves noticeably thicken and become brittle, the edges often crumbling and flaking away. In some extreme cases, the toenail fungus can cause the nail to separate completely from the nail bed and fall off the toe.

 

Cases of toenail fungus can often last years, even decades, until they are properly addressed by a podiatrist. The usual course of treatment in addressing toenail fungus involves either oral medications or topical ointments, creams, or polishes — or in especially serious cases, the removal of the nails and direct treatment of the nail bed beneath.

 

All of these traditional approaches have their limitations however, and they all have their drawbacks. Our experience is that patients would prefer to avoid going on medications if possible. The ointments and creams and polishes rarely accomplish much. And of course whenever possible we want to avoid having to remove the toe nails.

You Will Also Find Various Laser Treatments

Being Offered For Addressing Toenail Fungus Problems.

The problem is, far too often, the lasers being used are either of the wrong wavelength or the wrong beam profile. The most common lasers being used for toenail fungus treatments involve a "quasi-continuous" beam, which simply cannot adequately accomplish what is too often advertised or claimed. Even the lasers on the market that have the correct wavelength and the correct beam, too often have messy, ineffective beam profiles, and as a result simply cannot pack the kind of serious punch needed to kill toenail fungus with any kind of regularity.