Laser for Fungal Nail Infection (Onychomycosis) In Belfast

Fungal nail infections, known medically as Onychomycosis, is caused by the growth of a fungus in the nail and possibly the nail bed. All fungal spores grow where the conditions are dark, moist and warm, and hands and feet are a perfect environment for them.

You can be infected from changing rooms or from an Athlete’s foot infection or even from cosmetic treatment such as manicures and pedicures if the equipment is not sterilised effectively. Wherever it comes from, once you have an infection it is difficult to treat as the fungus doesn’t just grow on the surface but spreads down into the nail and into the skin underneath.

The first sign of an infection is a discolouration of the nail usually starting white and spreading up the nail as it grows carrying the infection with it. If the blood supply from the nail bed is affected the nail may turn red or black, and if it leads to a bacterial infection there may be a green discolouration. The nail becomes thickened and difficult to cut or trim and through the pressure from shoes it can become brittle and fragile and portions can break off. Eventually, the nail bed and nail may separate, and that becomes a more difficult problem to rectify. The infection must be eliminated from the base of the nail bed entirely to remove the fungus. A healthy, infection free nail will then grow out, with the infected portion removed by normal trimming. Depending on the growth rate it can take up to a year for the nail to return to normal. During this time, good hygiene should prevent further infection, but it is a rigorous routine.

Left untreated the problem is highly unlikely to resolve itself. There is also the risk that the infection will spread from digit to digit and to other people you are in close contact with.

Although not strictly a complication, laser treatment is directed at the nail bed and this causes a warming sensation which can last for a minute or two as treatment is applied with the pulse of laser energy. This can be a painful sensation, due to the heat, but is considered tolerable and just uncomfortable. Any discomfort subsides quickly after treatment. You may wish to keep the area cool for up to 24 hours after treatment.

Laser treatment for fungal nail infection is generally considered to be side effect free, producing no harm to the nail or surrounding skin. The previously infected and damaged nail will shed naturally as the nail grows, bringing fresh, healthy, uninfected nail along to replace it.

Most podiatry and chiropody clinics offer fungal nail treatments and should quote a price for their treatment to facilitate a cure. In cosmetic clinics, any trained laser practitioner who has received specific training for the treatment of fungal nails would also be able to administer the laser treatment. However, they may not be able to pre-file the nail themselves.

A registered podiatrist or chiropodist clinic may be the best place to get a course of treatment, although there are now also specialist cosmetic laser clinics who focus solely on the use of lasers in cosmetic medicine that can provide the full nail treatment.

There are many lasers being used nowadays by podiatrists, chiropodists and aestheticians that it can be very confusing. The best advice is to talk to the practitioner and look for clinics that are trained in this treatment application, and can show you some positive results from their own clients. The clinic may have a laser capable of this mode of use, but it is the operator who needs to be the expert in this application so ask for training certificates specifically for this indication.

Find a specialist treatment centre for fungal nail infections.