Can nail fungus be treated with a laser?
Persistent and extensive nail fungus is often treated with tablets containing anti-fungal (antifungal) agents. However, this systemic treatment is not possible for some patients – either because the medication cannot be taken or because it causes significant side effects. For those affected, laser therapy for nail fungus is a promising alternative.
Laser therapy is also often used to supplement drug treatment in order to shorten it and get rid of the fungus more quickly.
Read more about conventional treatment for nail fungus here.
Nail fungus: How does treatment with a laser work?
The laser heats the nail – not so much that it is destroyed, but enough to hit and kill the spores of the nail fungus. Various laser devices are used for this purpose, which differ mainly in their radiation quality. A rough distinction is made between long-pulsed lasers and short-pulsed lasers.
Pulsed lasers do not emit light continuously, but in small portions. Long-pulsed lasers use longer pulses, while short-pulsed lasers use shorter pulses in quick succession. Short-pulse lasers are mainly used to treat nail fungus.
Nail fungus laser: What are the side effects?
Irradiation with the nail fungus laser does not hurt. A feeling of warmth, tingling or a slight stinging sensation sometimes occurs in the treated region. However, these sensations are only described as “unpleasant”. They disappear when the laser treatment of the nail is finished. If carried out correctly, the treatment is considered to have few side effects.
