Onychomycosis Treatment

Three Simple Steps

Step 1

File down the Nail. During onychomycosis the nail will become deformed and overgrown, it may also thicken. Filing down the nail allows laser light to fully penetrate into the treatment site.

Step 2

Administer Nd:YAG laser pulses in a circular pattern covering the entire nail. Slightly overlap the beam so that the nail is fully covered. The patient should feel a slight heating sensation throughout the nail.

Step 3

Target Nd:YAG laser pulses around the perimeter of the nail bed and around the finger or toe. Often parasitic fungus has worked its way beyond the nail bed and needs to be eliminated in all the tissue surrounding the nail to prevent recurrence.

The treatment involves passing a laser beam over the infected nail and surrounding tissue, resulting in a photo-thermal heating effect that weakens and kills the fungi that cause the infection. A single treatment usually takes about 45 minutes to treat 10 nails. You may feel a heating sensation during the treatment, however you can leave immediately after the procedure and resume your daily routine. You could also experience some slight discolouration of the nail after the treatment.

Results

Improvement may be seen after a single session, however best results are typically achieved through a series of 3-4 treatments. Successful treatment will result in the growth of a new, healthy nail. However it could take up to 1 year to see an entirely clear nail, depending on the rate of growth.