Fungal Toenail Therapy

What is nail fungus?

Nail fungus, or onychomycosis (on-e-ko-my-koh-sis), is an infection caused by certain microscopic organisms that grow on the soft skin, or nail bed beneath your nails. It causes nails to become brittle, discolored, and/or deformed. People usually get nail fungus when something (such as an injury) causes a break in the nail or lifting of the nail at the end allowing organisms to go beneath the nail.

Most medications you may apply to the surface (solutions, creams, or ointments) are rarely successful as they cannot penetrate the nail plate and. The live organisms. Tolcylen is a newer generation topical medication that has been shown to be very effective. In treating fungal toenails. Nail fungus can be treated with oral medication (taken by mouth), such as Lamisil tablets but interfere with many medications, require liver monitoring for extended treatment courses and can be difficult to tolerate.

The impact of unsightly nail fungus

Nail fungus is a chronic condition that impacts your quality of life and can even lead to serious health problems for patients with diabetes or immune disorders. Nail fungus is difficult because the infection is under and inside of the nail. Which makes it hard for some products to reach and destroy the infection.

What other options are available for treating fungal nails?

1. Do nothing with the nails. The fungus will continue to thicken the involved toenail and most likely spread to other toes. You may lose the nail eventually and experience pain, discomfort, and difficulty in trimming the nail.

1. Use prescription oral antifungal medications such as Lamisil. This medication requires monitoring of your Liver when taken for fungal toenails and may interact with other medications. It can also create side effects when taken for over 6 weeks.

1. Perform a non-invasive treatment and use a daily topical medication. Our office has treated hundreds of patients with the first FDA cleared Laser for toenail fungus treatment. The PinPointeTM FootLaser® is the easy and convenient procedure that helps turn your discolored and disfigured nails into clearer, healthier looking nails.

Toenail therapy

The Initial Visit: Your toenails will be evaluated and treatment recommendations will be given. At this visit there should be time to perform the first Laser toenail treatment to one or both feet. This in–office procedure is virtually painless, has minimal side effects, and typically takes only about 30 minutes to complete.

Follow-up visit: 3 months later You will be scheduled for a second laser toenail treatment to one or both feet after your first treatment. At this the involved toenail(s). This visit is included in our treatment price. It is important to record visits where there should be visible improvement in the appearance of the progress of the nail growth and clearing of the infection.

Medication:We use a new generation medicine Tolcylen which is effective for treating nail fungus. This medication is included at the first treatment. If you need additional medication it can be purchased from our office. 

Follow-up visit: 6-12 months later If needed, additional doctor visits can be made to determine if the improvement in the appearance of the nail is progressing as expected. These visits will be billed to the insurance company and are not included in the cost of the laser toenail therapy. It is important to continue to record monthly the progress of the nail growth and clearing of the infection.

Cost of Therapy

Insurance will cover the cost of your office visits but standard charges may apply based on your particular policy (deductible, co–pay, etc.) Laser toenail treatment is not a covered service through Medical insurance plans. Most health insurance will not cover this procedure as it is a brand–new technology.

Nail Fungus Treatment Results