Toenail Fungus

A fungus is an organism that lives in warm, moist areas, can be found in various environments, and can cause infection to people of all ages. The most common fungi responsible for nail infections are dermatophytes such as Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton Mentagrophytes, and Epidermophyton floccosum.

Common sources of dermatophytes are public places such as 

• Swimming pool areas
• Public showers
• Nail Spas
• Gyms, and Locker Rooms. 

Sometimes, trauma to the nails can also cause a fungal infection to nails. When infected, nails will start changing colors (yellow, brown, green, or any combination of the three), and they become thick, crumbly, and separated from the nail bed.

Laser treatment is the most common option to remediate nail fungus. The light of the laser passes through the nail and gets absorbed by the pigment in the fungi, exposing it to heat and killing it. This treatment can promote the normal growth of the nail. The success rate with laser treatment is very high, and the procedure is painless. There are no age limits to the patients who can benefit from this procedure, which takes 10–15 minutes to perform. Additionally, there are no known side effects associated with the laser.

We also may recommend oral medications taken on a 12 week course. However, these medications are not used for younger individuals and patients with poor health or liver disease.

Dr. Nejadrasool also offers topical medications applied directly to the nails for 12 months or more. They are less effective in clearing the nails if used as the only method of treatment, especially if the nails are thickened due to fungal infection. The topical medication has the best chance of efficacy when used in conjunction with the laser treatments.