As far as nail and skin
conditions go, one of the most embarrassing is nail fungus. If you have nail
fungus which you have had for years, it may surprise you to know that you are
not alone. In fact, the condition affects about 850 million individuals around
the world, and in the UK alone, nail fungus affects about 1 in 15 adults. The
condition is also more prevalent in men than in women, and it often appears as
a person gets older. But if you have tried everything you can to combat nail
fungus with far-from-satisfactory results, especially when it comes to topical
creams and ointments, one of your best choices would be to go for laser
treatment. If this is your first time hearing about laser treatment for nail
fungus and would like to know how it can really help you, here’s everything you
need to know about it – and its real benefits.
What
is nail fungus?
So how can be certain you
have nail fungus? There are various signs and symptoms associated with nail
fungus, but one of the most common signs of the condition is nails (especially
toenails) which are discoloured, turning yellowish-brown, brown, or white. The
nail often becomes thicker and looks malformed as well, and the nail itself
appears to crumble. One other clear sign of toenail fungus is the appearance of
the nail, as it looks like it is separating from the nail bed. If the condition
is particularly severe, you can even see a dark green colouring – this means
that there is a bacterial infection in the nail as well. In some severe cases,
dirt and debris can accumulate underneath the nail, and this can have a bad
smell.
Nail fungus is a topic
that is not discussed in polite
conversation, and even friends and family hardly refer to it due to the
embarrassment it causes. Perhaps this is one reason why not many people know
about the proper treatment for it. But now, you can definitely benefit from
laser treatment for nail fungus, and it’s a form of treatment that is designed
to last.
How
the treatment works
Nail fungus treatment
with lasers has not been around for long, but it has already received a lot of
praise. The first step in the treatment is an assessment and consultation, and
this is where you can voice your questions about the procedure and receive the
answers you need.
The second step involves
a test patch, and if the test patch results are good, then your actual treatment
will begin. The process is relatively simple: a technician will use a laser on
the affected nail and cover it in a grid pattern, and this will cover the
entire area. The laser will pass heat onto the nail, which will then vapourise
the fungus. Unlike topical treatments which only cover the surface of the nail,
laser treatment deals with the actual nail fungal cell, since the laser can
penetrate through the nail. The procedure takes approximately 12 to 20 minutes,
based on the number of nails which require treatment.
Its
benefits
The benefits of laser
nail fungus treatment are immense. For one, it is painless and utterly safe,
and it doesn’t harm the actual nail or the skin surrounding it. It has no side
effects, and you don’t need to have any recovery period, either. The treatment
is suitable for both adults and children, and it is an approved treatment in
Europe and the US under the CE and FDA marks of approval.
