NEW – Laser treatment for ugly toenails
- Finally get rid of yellow, brittle or thickened toenails
- Quick in-office procedure
- Virtually painless
- Effective and Safe treatment
- Alternative to Surgery or Prescription medications
- No down-time from your regular activities
Do your toenails appear yellow, brittle, or ugly?
Then perhaps you suffer from a toenail infection, a condition that will continue to worsen over time if the infection is not stopped. Toenail infections can be caused by heavy foot perspiration, poor shoe/sock ventilation or walking barefoot in damp areas such as a gym or locker room. Until now, the only solutions for unsightly toenail infections were to surgically remove the nail and apply topical treatments or medications with potentially negative side effects. None of these solutions where ideal. Laser technology has recently given doctors a valuable tool to fight this embarrassing condition.
Proven Laser Treatment for Toenail Fungus
A Toenail with a fungal infection often has a change in color, thickness, and quality. It may cause pain and difficulty in walking. Fungal nails are unsightly and may have an associated "off-color" odour. For many people, they find it a source of embarrassment particularly if open-toe foot wear is worn. The medical term for this condition is onychomycosis. Studies estimate that fungal nail infections may affect 5-10% of the population.
You may suffer from nail fungus if you have one or more of the following symptoms:
- Thickened nail
- Brittle, crumbly or ragged nail
- Distorted in shape or separated
- Dull, with no luster or shine
- A dark color, caused by debris building up under nail
Our New treatment for fast and effective relief of this condition is now available in Edmonton and area and will soon be available at most of our other clinics located in larger metropolitan areas.
How does Laser treatment work?
The laser kills the fungus that lives in and under the toenail. The laser light passes through the toenail without causing damage to the nail or the surrounding tissue. At the time of the procedure the toenail will not become instantly clear as it takes time to grow out. Your nail will generally feel warm during the treatment. Over the coming weeks and months (on average 8-10 weeks), your nail should begin to grow out clear of any fungus and you will begin to see a new healthy nail. It may take 6-8+ months for your new toe nail to be fully grown in.
We generally treat all the toes of your foot even if visually fungus only appears to be present on one or two. Often 2 treatments will remedy your condition but the process will be treated several times if necessary. Depending on your condition, a single treatment session will take approximately 10-15 minutes. Treatment times may vary, so please ask your podiatrist or his technician for more information. Our laser treatment is very safe. No side effects or adverse reactions have been reported; most patients also report feeling no pain but some report a warming sensation and very few feel a "pinprick" type of sensation.
Will the fungus come back?
After your treatment is finished, it is important not to re-infect your foot by putting on your old shoes as this is the perfect breeding ground for toe nail fungus (damp, warm & dark). Ideally you should have brand new shoes to put on and not wear your old shoes until they have been fully disinfected. Your old shoes can be disinfected effectively by renting or buying "Steri Shoe" shoe UVC sanitizers (available from the Foot Institute). If you do not wish to go this route, you can try an anti fungal foot spray and spray your shoes thoroughly.
Can I paint my nails or have a pedicure?
You can apply colored or clear nail polish immediately after the treatment. However, it is important to remove all nail polish, creme's, lotions, medications (e.g.. Formula 3), nail decorations, etc. the day before you treatment and then wash your feet with clean water. These types of products can react negatively with the powerful medical laser.
Who will perform the Laser Treatment?
Your Podiatrist will assess your condition and determine if you are a candidate for laser treatment. If so, you will be referred to our contracted certified laser technician who has performed hundreds of laser treatments. Your doctor will also determine if other treatment or medications should be prescribed in addition to your Laser Treatment.