Is the Laser Treatment for Nail Fungus a Scam?
Learn More About Costs & Benefits in This Comprehensive Guide
Scientists and physicians are finding new ways to apply lasers to the treatment of human disease. Perhaps the most widely known application of lasers in medical and surgical care has been in the arena of laser eye surgery. Lasers are used to reshape the cornea of the eye in order to correct refractive errors and cure nearsightedness or farsightedness. However laser treatments have been used in various fields from dermatology (including treating nail fungus) to dentistry.
A laser, which is a concentrated beam of light energy, has the ability to selectively destroy certain biological structures, vaporizing them in very real terms. Depending of the wavelength of the light used in the laser, the type of biological structure being destroyed can be selectively targeted (more or less) and preferentially destroyed.
The use of lasers to treat nail fungus is not new. Researchers have been trying to use lasers to treat onychomycosis since the 1980s. The approach at that time, however, was a little different. Before newer antifungal treatments like Lamisil and Sporanox, the only oral medical treatments that existed for onychomycosis were griseofulvin and, a little later, ketoconazole. These drugs took a very long time to work, had potentially severe side effects at even modest doses, and often did not even work at all. The original application of lasers in the treatment of nail fungus was to use the laser to create holes or channels in the nail. This process, called fenestration, was meant to give topical onychomycosis treatments better access to the fungus. The laser could open up a pathway so that the medicine applied to the nail could get at the fungus and kill it.
This approach did not meet with much success. The process was expensive and did not seem to improve the topical treatment of onychomycosis to any great degree. As lasers were evolving and more widely available to physicians and surgeons, a better approach was adopted. By using a laser with a specific wavelength of laser light energy, the fungus could be targeted and killed, while leaving the skin and nail intact. Instead of making large tunnels in the nail, the light was focused on the fungus directly. In essence, the laser energy heats the fungus to the point that it is killed but does not burn the surrounding tissue.
It is this latter approach that is gaining ground among dermatologists is the United States. While the FDA has not approved any laser systems specifically for the treatment of nail fungus or onychomycosis, similar devices have been cleared by the FDA for use in other diseases and medical fields. Some companies are waiting on FDA clearance for this application but at least one company has not. Outside of a clinical study, patients having nail fungus laser treatment will be getting that treatment from this device manufacturer that released the technology before FDA clearance.
It is not yet clear whether nail fungus laser treatment actually works.
There have only been a couple of small clinical trials that have looked at the efficacy of laser onychomycosis treatment. As with many small, early trials of a new technology or application, the results have been favorable. However, as medical science has witnessed many times before, when these same technologies that perform well in small studies were tried in larger groups of people with more rigorous test protocols, many of them fail to show the same degree of benefit. At this point it is too early to say if nail fungus laser treatment is worth the price.
The Treatment can be expensive. Nail fungus laser treatment costs between $1,000 and $2,500. The laser onychomycosis treatment is not covered by health insurance since onychomycosis is viewed as a cosmetic disease (which is more or less correct, barring complications or severe disease). Therefore the cost of laser nail fungus treatment must be covered in full by the patient.
The procedure is very safe with remarkably few side effects. Therefore the risk to the patient is basically just money. Are you willing to risk a thousand dollars on a new, unproven application of laser technology? Some people are willing since nail fungus laser treatment promises to shorten the course of treatment by weeks over oral medicines. When faced with an unappealing and potentially disfiguring disease, patients are willing to spend reasonably large sums of money for a rapid solution to the problem.
It may be possible to find a clinical trial of laser onychomycosis treatment in your area. These studies are usually conducted at or near a large academic hospital, but may be conducted at an office near you. The website www.clinicaltrials.gov provides a listing of all of the clinical trials registered in the US and in several other countries. While you risk having a placebo (fake) treatment if you enroll in one of these clinical trials, you may also save yourself $1,000 or more.
Reference
Bornstein E. A Review of Current Research in Light-Based Technologies for Treatment of Podiatric Infectious Disease States. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2009;99:348-352.
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Is there an update to this? I have heard of a laser treatment for $200. Does it work? Who does it?
I had the laser done in Huntington Beach CA, it worked great, Fast and painless.
My doc said hes had great results for most patients and charges $1899. Worth every penny since it worked.
is this safe for children?
my 11 years son has nail fungus.
is there any particular make which i have to look ?
Has the FDA approved the laser treatment? Is it true that only
7 podiatrists have approval to apply treatment in California?
Laser treatment for $200? Yeah I know who you’re talking about. But he’s
not using the laser other docs are using. Questions the result!
I doubt it works for him.
There was a study done a couple of years ago by Nomir which showed that certain frequencies of light can destroy fungal infections under the nail and their study showed it was 70% effective. Last I heard, they were going for FDA approval. Two other companies took that study and are commercial. Patholase which markets to doctors who then perform the procedure and LaserToe LLC which sells a small portable version for home use.
As far as i understand laser nail treatment work will be about $1200
this is very pricey no?
Not to mention that its not FDA approved? For $200 dollars you got to question
if that’s even worth trying out. Could be looking at a botch job.
IMHO.
I had the laser treatment done twice now. I needed to have second treatment done, which my doc said was necessary. He said if it still doesn’t look better, at the 6 month follow up, he will do the third “touch up” for free. Honestly, I think I will need that third round done. My nails are still growing thick, and are falling off. My doc says that he has treated over 1500 patients, and only 3 cases have been a total failure. I hope I’m not number 4. I have done Lamisil, and with very fast results. I noticed the healthy nail growing right away. I had a full year with beautiful healthy nails, and then the beast was back. I’ve been using Funginix (Fungisil) for more than a year now. I’m beginning to think I’m doomed to have this crap forever.
Is there anything to spray your shoes with?
Or do you simply throw away your existing shoes?
I’d hate to be re-infecting myself.
I had Pinpointe Laser treatments also. I had two treatments within ten months and I thought my toenails were improving, but they are NOT. I’m so upset I could cry. The cost to my was a little over $1000 and I had to drive over 2 hours in order to have the treatment done. I feel, as the above poster,Michelle, feels. I think I’m just doomed to have this forever. BTW, I also purchased Steri-Shoe when I had my first treatment.
my son is 12 years old and has had fungus on one toe. we went to Dr who adviced us to take the nail off, then he had fingus on another nail. We did not want to take the nail off since my son is only 12years. We have seen the Dr for laser twice and almost 6 moths, no improments. it did not help.
we are going to see the DR third time.
we bought Steri-shoe .
I have had the three Pinpoint laser treatments for nail fungus with little improvement. Some of the least infected nails have improved some but not the ones with more fungus.
I know every patient is different but before you spend $1000.00 or more be ready for the fact that you could be very disappointed.
Spent a $1000 to wear sandals but the bad nails still look bad.
Save your money.
Had the laser pinpoint treatment last spring – if anything my nails are WORSE – used to be thick/yellow, but now look darker, going to black. Price was $1000 plus another $139 for the shoe treatment device. Doctor wants to charge $500 for retreatment, but I’m not throwing good money after bad. My treatment was done by “Spierfoot”, Dr Mark Spier in MD, and the whole experience reeked of SCAM. First the price quoted over the phone was “$900″, with an “80% success rate”, but the next day when I got to the office, the price was $999, with no explanation of the differance from the original quote. Then they had me sign a disclosure statement that said the procedure had a “70% success rate”, hmm, going down fast, again with no explanation of the difference with the previous statement. Even worse, when I go into the room for the actual treatment, Dr Speir now says I have a “60% possibility of success with the treatment, but since it is so safe I’m not risking anything but my money” Easy for him to say, since it’s not his thousand bucks. Plus he now says I will also need to buy a contraption to sterilize my shoes every night for another $139. The procedure didn’t have any effect on my fungus. This was a total ripoff, and stank from start to finish. Later I read the “nothing to risk but money” line on the Pinpoint sales pitch suggested to Doctors who buy their equipment.
DON’T waste your money. I believe the posts here, above that say it DIDN’T work. And I also think the ONE single post that claims it worked is probably a plant by Pinpoint – since I have not met a single person yet who found this VERY EXPENSIVE procedure to be successful.
The quest against fungus continues – sorry to have to tell you.
I spent nearly $600 over a 4-month period for three laser treatments on a single toe with no improvement. It was ineffective and not worth the $$. I’d recommend saving your money and avoiding laser treatment for toe fungus until more R&D is done. It did not work for me, and I only have fungus beneath one of my large toenails.
I have five years experience as a laser technician, and I feel it is one of my ethical responsibilities to educate my clients on the process and on the lasers involved. There are MANY different types of lasers on the market, and many of them are highly ineffective. Most healthcare professionals are misinformed about the effectiveness of various lasers (due to the fact salesmen are not usually completely truthful when selling equipment; they have a big incentive to make a big sale). Each type of laser (Alexandrite, diode, NdYag, etc. etc,) produces its specific wavelength of light, and the laser energy is absorbed by specific colors and converted into heat energy which destroys something being targeted. For example, alexandrite, diode and NdYag lasers produce a wavelength absorbed by brown black and blue, so they will eliminate brown and black hair.. The Alexandrite produces the most effective results and most promptly, the diode does a good job but requires at least twice as many treatments usually, and the NdYag is used for African American skin types because it is least likely to damage the skin, which has a lot of brown pigment, while this laser is mildly to moderately effective with eliminating the hair.) All three are effective, but one is much more effective than the others, and another one is the safest one for use on darkly pigmented skin. The questions I ask myself when trying to find an effective laser treatment are, “What is the color of the condition I am trying to treat?”, “Which wavelength(s) of light are absorbed by those colors?”, and “What lasers produce those wavelengths?” Also, is the person utilizing the laser well-trained? How much actual experience can they prove? How many patients or clients have they treated? and “Are they willing to give me the most effective treatment possible, or are they going to play it so safe that the treatment will be ineffective, causing or allowing the problem to recur?” My clients came from New York, Trinidad, Roatan, Colombia, Brazil (etc. S. America) and Southern Florida, and I had my following because I was determined to give the best treatment results possible, and I was extremely well-trained and experienced. I wish you the best in your search for effective treatments, and hope the price for this procedure drops drastically, as it seems highly overpriced. Shop around and do some homework and it will pay big dividends for you. Test or verify the information you read.
I just read these last few replys. Actually, the Pinpointe Laser states it IS for toenail fungus. I never heard of the other types of laser mentioned above. I read recently that Pinpoint now has FDA approval to use as a treatment for toenail fungus. I’m in agreement with the Bonnie and few others who feel that this laser is not working as a cure for toenail fungus. My Podiatrist, who is now offering Pinpoint Laser treatments, said that she did a few Pinpoint Laser treatments with no success. She has recently been treating patients a third time with this laser. I will NOT have a third treatment because: 1. I can’t afford it, 2. It isn’t going to work on my toenails. Alas, the search for a cure for toenail fungus does indeed continue!!!!
This is directly from the FDA clearance:
The PinPointe Footlaser is indicated for use for the temporary increase in clear nail in patients with Onychomycosis.
This is a far cry from claiming that it is cleared for the cure of Onychomycosis. My experience shows that there are indeed lasers being used that are quite effective at killing the toenail fungus, but they require 2 to 3 treatments. There are four podiatrists in the Tampa / Clearwater area that have seen superb results.
Hello Everyone,
I too have been making the rounds, trying to find a cure for Fingernail
fungus.
The 1st Part is to figure out how you got it.
I got mine by taking a swim spa with 90 degree water, once daily for about
5 years.
The fungus eventually got big enough to where, I had to take the
corners of the Thumbnails off.
I dip them in Hydrogen Peroxide every time I get out of the water,
but that only gets the surface fungus.
I am trying the Laser Light now, but it is not a PinPoint.
I am hoping that I am successful.
I will not take any Meds that can destroy you & your liver.
Perhaps a few tweeks with the Light Frequencies, & we will all get rid
of our Parasite.
The prices will come down.
The equipment will become much more petite.
I find the price of the equipment is ridiculous.
Perhaps, we can buy a Chinese Version for ourselves.
Regards
Bonnie
Need information about how to get or who sales the machine! Thanks
I got it done as soon as it was available, before all these posts. I can’t and won’t waste money on a second treatment. What a rip off is right.
I just started taking lamisil oral treatment….i only have one toe nail infected with fungus…. I will take a daily capsule of lamisil for an entire month and find out if there is any really improvement…. I will post if the lamisil worked or not… Meanwhile for those that do not have any ugly fungus yet …wear sandals,change socks at least twice a day,wear two or more pair of shoes during the week…in other words keep beautiful feet as aired and dry possible… And you will have healthy feet ……
I had the $1000 treatment in Portland, followed at about 9 month by the “discounted” $500 treatment. At least the technician who did the followup was honest about the efficacy of this procedure, saying the 80% rate is way overstated. It may be that if you have recent and minor infected areas that the treatment will have lasting results. I followed all of the Drs. procedures after treatment and, of course, it’s back.
I also had the $1,000 treament followed by a second one for $500. I was told the success rate was about 80%. My nails are worse now than before, as if the treatment had created a great environment for the fungus. I followed all the instructions to the letter. The doctor’s comment was that my immune system obviously does not fight it at all. By the way, it was painful! Caveat emptor. My liver has not suffered, though, which, I guess, is something, because I have used the medications and (griseofulvin and sporanox) and they have not cured it either.
I have tried lamisil and other meds and they work very slowly. I get the impression the Laser treatment doesn’t work very well. Has anyone tried Vick’s Vapor Rub?
I AM A PODIATRIST WHO DOES NOT HAVE A LASER. I WISH THERE WAS A LASER THAT HAS R & D THAT SHOWS THE THE TRUE EFFICACY OF THE TREATMENT , BUT TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NONE.
$1,000.00 FOR A TREATMENT THAT IS INEFFECTIVE IS AWFUL. I HAVE BEEN IN PRACTICE IN NYC FOR 22YRS AND HAVE TREATED OVER 2000 PATIENTS WITH FUNGAL NAILS WITH LAMISIL 250 MG. I HAVE NEVER FOUND ANY LIVER DAMAGE.. THE RUMOR OF LIVER DAMAGE IS ONLY PUSHED BY THOSE WHO HAVE LASERS. THE SAME ELEVATION OF LIVER ENZYMES WHICH IN 98% OF THE TIME IS TEMPORARY CAN OCCUR WITH TYENOL. TRUE LIVER FAILURE IS VERY RARE WITH LAMISIL PO. BY THE WAY LAMISIL WORKS IN 85% IF USED CORRECTLY BY THE PRACTITIONER FOLLOWS PROTOCOLS FOR FUNGAL NAILS.
I’m 24 years old n I’ve had toenail fungus for about five years. I tried lamisil for 3 months, did not work. I tried vapor rub for almost a year. Helped so it wouldn’t spread but didn’t clear the fungus. Now I’m using zetaclear and it helps my fungus not look so bad. Was considering laser treatment but after reading all of this I’m not gonna waste my money.
I have tried Lamisil 3 times. Each time seems the infection is becoming more
resistant to the med. I had the Pinpointe nail laser done about 1 year ago for $1k.
Second treatment is half price, if i wanted at $495. It seemed to work really great
after about a month i saw significant clearing of the nail which i wasn’t able to
receive with Lamisil. My guess is one treatment with the laser is not enough. You
will have to spend at least $2k dollars on 4-5 applications with the laser. I wish
the Dr. had told me this instead of me wasting money. The infection is back and i
have to start all over again. They really just want your money. They know the
efficiency of the laser they just don’t want to use it correctly bc they will
loss money in the long run with Dr visits and such. Back to square one.
I heard that Cutera has a laser approved for toenail fungus. I think that the information is outdated.
I’ve had toenail fungus for 6 or 7 years now on my big toes and I am sick of not being able to
I’ve taken lamasil which didn’t work. I also had my toenails
wear cute sandals.
removed but it was so painful, I wouldn’t recommend it. The doctor told me it would hurt for a 3 days but it hurt for about 10 days. I recently heard about the laser treatment for fungus but after reading these comments it seems like the fungus goes away for a while and then comes
back. My grandmother has bad toenails as well so I wonder if it can be something in my system? I had to say this but I guess I should learn to live with this horrible and embarrassing condition. .
Has the zetaclear worked for anyone?
Wow J Gardiner mentioned Vicks vapor rub above and someone actually told me about that working for fungus. I think I will try that.
I am also a licensed Laser therapist. I myself had this infection after getting my nails done at a spa. I know this because I had never gotten my nails professional done before.
I did my research and found the laser I use at my office was in fact one that has the prpoer wave length. It is a diode laser. I began treating my big toe witch was dark brown and yelow in appearance. I treated it about every two weeks for the duration of it growing out witch was eight months. It looks perfect. I did use precautions when it came to cross contamination how
ever. I am fortunate to be able to sterilize my toenail clippers after each use and also clipped all good nails first and the last thing I clipped was the infected area. I think lasers do work but it is a very complicated to fully treat. Re contamination is easy. Also I began taking Biotin to aid in fast growth. You need to have at least five treatments and it should feel at the very least warm while the treatment is being done. Remember it is the heat that kills it! good luck and throw out all shoes you have sweat in! Stay healthy and boil your clippers. hope all can get rid of this embarrassing condition. Remember 40 % of people over 40 have this and you need to protect your self and try not to spread it to your loved ones. Lee
I developed fungus on my big toe after getting a pedicure in August 10′ – I refused to try the pills due to liver damage and at the suggestion of my orthopaedic tied a topical treatment “fungoid” for 4 months – It did not work.
In Dec 10′ I scraped together $800 to go to a spa that offered the “Cool Touch Laser” for 3 treaments. I was at my 3rd treatment (Feb 11″) with still no results, when a new technician was doing the procedure but did it differently. She would laser each toe until it zapped me with a cold blast. I told her that the other tech never had it “zap” before. She informed me it has to zap you otherwise it’s not working properly. She told me that she would extend the treatments to two more – it is now May 11′ and I’m so excited because a healthy nail is finally growing back!!!!!
The Cool Touch Laser REALLY works!!! I would like to mention each treatment lasts about 5 minutes and it does not hurt. I had gone to several podiatrists for a price quote on their laser treatments and they averaged $1200. I got lucky that the Spa offered a special
The spa suggested that in the future, I hire a nail tech to come to my home and provide my own sterilized clippers and foot bath;-)
I have had toe nail fungus for 15 or more years. I have scrubbed my toe nails with a diluted solution of bleach and vicks. This helps control the fungus, but never gets rid of it completley. It just makes them look a little better if I am very faithful and apply both daily. I would like to know from Lee who commented that it took repeated treatments every two weeks for eight months what wave length was used. Also, how long have the results lasted?
I had Pinpoint laser treatment on January 10th/2011 in Portland, Oregon.
The doctor stated to me I had a mild level of toe fungus and only 5
toes were infected. I thought one treatment ($1000) will be enough to kill
the fungus. I was wrong. 6 months later i still have the same issue on
the same 5 toes. i just called for follow up and will go to the clinic
yet again this week. I think i will require one more treatment,
possibly two more. I also have been rotating daily use of Lamisil,
Lotrimin and Tinactin with no benefit.
Frustrating!!!
Hi YAL-
I am wondering if you went to The Laser Nail Clinic in Portland, OR?
I was considering treatment there for my toes- I believe only 4/10 nails are infected and the big toes have visible signs of partial discoloration which has been slowly growing over time. Not sure if this is a “mild” or case or not but I was hoping laser therapy would help even if it’s expensive…
Thanks for any advice.
I had toenail fungus on 7 of my 10 toes. In December 2008 I began 3 months of oral lamisil treatment. Within 6 weeks, I could see clear/pink new nail growing. A beautiful sight! 6 of the 7 toenails have since been fungus-free, but 1 toenail (big toe) has returned afer sort of fading away. The medicine was not covered under insurance, but since it’s now generic, it cost about $15 per month. In my eyes, this is much more cost-effective and medically-effective than laser treatment.
I am a dermatologist and current treatments for nail fungus including pills topicals toenail removal only offer at best a 50% cure rate and the recurrences are very high My patients have great success with topical Elidel with or without lamisil Since the recurrence rate is so high all my patients spray their shoes (every pair) with Lysol for several months
i would love to help any one suffering with toenail problems. I will do alot of research on this laser and try to post something on my web site yourdermcenter #$@ dot come
thanks Duane Banet MD
I tried using vicks vapor rub – seemed to work well for a while – I could see the healthy nail growing back. Then within a few days the fungus grew back down again. i’m certainly not taking the medication that can lead to liver and heart failure!! But still very eager to find a cure.
I’ve now severely trimmed back the nail and am using a daily topical liquid by schol. I’ll write more if that works!
Does anyone knows a good laser treatment for this condition in california?
What wavelength range and power range are most successful at treating fungus? and what is the source of this information?
Thank You!
Whether or not the treatment works, how dare insurance companies call an often
painful condition ‘cosmetic’. How is a disease that can make it difficult to walk
cosmetic. That’s like saying that skin cancer is a cosmetic disease because it’s
on the outside of your body rather than internal.
I have fungus on 6 of my toes. I started in a regimen of laser treatments with a podiatrist in October of 20010. Initially, he trimmed back my nails significantly. Then I had a single treatment. It did burn some. It was a bit painful to be sure. This was followed by twice daily applications of Penlac (a clear liquid that hardens over the toenail), a weekly application of antifungal cream to the feet, and use of the Steri Shoe device after use of each shoe I wore. The Steri Shoe has an UltraViolet light in it that is supposed to kill all fungus in the shoe.
I then went back in March 2011, after having little, if any, improvement. I then went through 3 additional treatments (all of which burned significantly – no damage was done to my skin, but the burning hurt during the procedure). I also continued the aftercare applications and use of the steri shoe, without fail. After all this, NO IMPROVEMENT. Curiously, about 10 years ago I used to soak my feet in a very diluted solution of water and chlorine bleach. I did this daily for several months. It worked pretty well. Most of the fungus cleared up. However, it cam back after I stopped the treament. Perhaps by using the steri shoe sterilizer along with the bleach treatment, it might have a more lasting effect.
If you’ve had treatment for nail fungus and don’t want it to come back, there
are several preventative steps that need to be considered. First, get rid
of ALL of your socks AND ALL of your shoes. That is a must. Even if
you’ve washed your socks several times, and sprayed disinfectant inside
your shoes, fungal spores can survive, do you really want to risk it? It’s
hard to let go of a great pair of shoes, but I’ve done it quite easily
when thinking that those shoes harbor fungus.
Next, and I’m sure many of you are aware of this, keep your feet dry.
Sweaty feet harbor fungus.
Also, I recommend buying and wearing only socks with copper sewn into
them. Copper is a great anti-fungal/anti-bacterial element.
I even heard that the Israeli army gives these types of socks to their
soldiers.
Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is a great disinfectant. After clipping your
nails, use a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach, 9 parts water) and wipe
clipped areas. An exposed cuticle is a great entry point for a fungal
infection.
And if a fungus does appear on a single toe, get rid of the problem
right away, otherwise it WILL spread to other nails.
as a podiatrist, it’s shameful the level of false advertisement that is out there for laser treatment of onychomycosis. the laser is at best 50% effective. effective, meaning improvement and not a cure. the FDA approve for the laser as for temporary clearing of nail fungus. for moderate or server cases, expect 20-25% improvement of the nail appearance. the quoted 70% success rate is based on a study that is full of holes and bias. bottom line, it’s helpful but not great.
When I was 24yrs old I saw a Dr that prescribed lamisil. I took it for like 3 months but I didn’t take it appropriately. I would forget to take the pill some days and I would drink a lot of alcohol which is really bad for you. I was young and dumb. Despite all this the medication did a pretty good job on my nails, it took like a year for nails to look normal. It didn’t go away completely but they could pass off as healthy and I was no longer embarrased to take off my shoes at pool. Two years after it started to come back again. I took no precautions to keep my feet dry or do any of the preventative stuff written on this forum. I went back to a different Dr. and they reconmended a different kind of pil then the first one. I can’t remember the name of it. This time I took a little more to the letter and I tried not to drink as much alcohol. The second time around my nails look very close to being normal. For all I cared they were normal. I could barely see anything on the corner of my big toes. This is where I am at now. It hasn’t gotten any worse. If you were to see my nail they would look normal to you. However, I do clip my nails really short and I try to scrape underneath to try get some of the nasty yellow fungus stuff from the edge of my nails. This exposes the fungus and I believe it rubs against my underware after I put them on and I constantly get fungus on my growing area, mostly my scrotum. After reading this thread I am going to take on all the recomendations to see if I can keep my feet dry and aired. I hope this helps to any one considering any of those drugs. The drugs helped my feet look normal again but they did not cure my fungus. Also, they do affect your liver. You need to be very carefull.
I am just starting reseach for toenail fungal. My great toe is discolored, thick, and loosening. My other great toe was riped off during a fall. The remments were removed by a doctor and he didn’t tell me how to care for a toe with a missing nail! I’m thinking laser, but maybe seemy primary MD first. Oh, I also have non-hodgkins lymphoma and was told no oral meds. Any advise?
My great toe is thick discolored, raised and has gunk under it. I cut it
short. I have non-hodgkins lymphoma (in remission), so have been told
no oral meds. Am thinking remove the nail, or see a doctor who does
laser? Any suggestions? Thanks!
We all need to accept the fact, it is nearly impossible to get rid of this horrible horrible fungus. I tried EVERYTHNG for the past 7 years with NO success. I have found the best product out there to help was “oil of oregino”. It eats away the fungus pretty quick but a daily application is needed. It never goes away. PRAYING for a cure!
Actually iv just had a 2nd round of the pinpoint laser i only did one big toe so it was under 500$ the other big toe wasnt so bad and was getting treated with wonderful results by formula 3 the nail polish anyways the 2 big toes were the only ones infected so i did the laser on my right one the worst one and the first treatment i noticed my nail look clearer right after the laser treatment but no new nail growth i went in for my second treatment and a couple weeks later i have a new nail growing in so i can tell you yeah it does work but how long does it take for it to be completely clear? right now i couldnt tell you.but for everyone saying its not working of course its not going to work if your just relying on the laser you have to religiously apply medications and file your nails down so have patience everyone.
I live in South Florida. My two big toenail has been infected for 7 years. Does anyone know a good, honest and effective treatment in Broward or Palm Beach Counties? Thanks for your help I really need it.
I was able to get into a clinical trial for laser treatments on my toe nail fungus. I recieved 6 rounds in a one year period. The laser did pass FDA approval. I however was part of the unlucky 7% that it did not work at all for. About 50% of people in the study cleared copletely and the rest partially cleared. The doc recommended that I see an allergist because i probably have a mold/fungus allergy and I have to cure it from the inside out. I lucky only paid a $250 administrative fee for being part of the trial, otherwise it is a very expensive treatment. I would suggest getting the allergy test before you do tratment to see if the laser will work for you. Hope this helps. Dr. Glen Debias at the Institute for Laser and Aesthetic medicine ran my trial in Doylestown, PA.
8 Years strong for me…. I’ve taken lamisil, topical creams/oils, laser surgery (2x
with pinpoint and even the Vaporub treatment for a while)
1) First was Lamisal 8 years ago…. made me sick, messed with my liver, made my hair fall our
2) Topicals. Waste of money!!
3) VapoRub… For a 3 month period, this seemed to give the BEST results
4) Lastly, I had Laser Surgery in May 2011, all 10 toes… seemed a little better
but i think that was because the doc filed down my nails severely. I went back for
a 2nd “complimentary” treatment in July 2011… again, it looked a letter better
because of the filing, but within 3-4 weeks, everything is back.
IN FACT– IT IS NOW WORSE THAN EVER!!!!!
I am a healthy & fit 27 year old male. Living with this for almost 10 years,
embarrassed to go swimming, ugly nails… its just frustrating.
Try decolorized iodine. You have to be careful because it
can mess up your thyroid but it works. Try it twice a day for a week, then once a day every few days, then once a day every week, then every other week, every month, until it grows out. I cleared mine up fast but it came back because I did not get rid of my shoes. I thought that the powder and stuff would take care of them. I’m unemployed/disabled and can’t buy new ones right now…well- that is going to change…I’ve been wearing flip flops and I’ll wear them all winter if UI have to!
It’s frustrating that the article – and especially the comments! – make no distinction between different kinds of lasers. The Pinpointe and another widely marketed one (can’t remember the name right now) use repurposed standard surgical lasers, and work by thermal ablation (that’s why it can hurt, and why you need to wear a mask to protect from the infectious plume.) The article (judging by the reference) was talking about a third company, which developed a brand new laser (“Noveon”) that works only on the fungus at LOW TEMPERATURE, doesn’t heat the skin, doesn’t make a plume and (as of today, in a one-year followup on 10 lasers in use) has a 90% patient rating of “good” to “excellent” results. Most of the comments here seem to refer to the other types of lasers – and if not, please say so! Without identifying the type of laser, we can’t learn from anyone’s experience.
Has anyone tried oil of oregano to treat nail fungus? You take it orally and also apply it directly on the infected nail(s). The oil MUST be dilluted. I’m thinking of trying this because it also claims to have other health benefits. It’s also much cheaper than laser treatments and/or medications. I also read a book sometime ago called “The pH Miracle” that explains how your body’s pH can effect mold and fugus growth within our bodies. Mold and fungus growth within the body are major contributors of other health issues. The book is worth a read.
There is no cure. File your nails daily and spend a few bucks a month
for a podiatrist to treat them. Don’t use nail polish. The fungus spread
from two of my toes to four when I polished them! I have been living
with this condition for thirty years and have tried everything from Vicks
to bleach, vinegar to Listerine, tea tree oil and every topical medication
that exists. Oral medications are dangerous and have limited to zero
effect.
Forgot to say both my internist and my dermatologist confirm that laser
treatment is expensive and ineffective.
I took lamisil tablets over 4 years ago – all of my toenails were infected for almost 20 years. It took about 1 year – but 9 out of 10 of the nails are cured – one of the big toes nails is still intected, but looks different and I can get pedicures. I have no idea what affect the lamisil had on my liver, but I can wear open toe shoes now. I have stayed away from pantyhose and non-leather shoes in order to allow my feet to “breathe”.
My Mother’s had toenail fungus for 8 years. Someone told me to soak your toes in Listerene. Yes
Listerene, the mouthwash. I can tell a difference in 3 days in her nails. But she
is very forgetful & only remembers to do it if i remember to tell her. Her nails are so thick and ugly and hard to cut, one would think it would be at the top of the “to do” list.
She asked her Doctor if it would work and he said yes it would. So good luck to all of you sufferers of nail fungus. Hope Listerene helps you lose the thick nails.
As enthusiastic swimmer I have toenail fungus for over 30 years. Seven are
now infected. So that’s about 1 toe per 5 yr. Have tried Listerene, Vaporub,
Lamasil, oils, daily cleaning etc. It may slow the fungus but it won’t go
away. I consider the risks of Lamasil too high and the fungus too unimportant
to try longer treatment. Key point: fungus is in the toenails with 99.9%
of people. Why? Because we wear socks and shoes which provides the perfect
moist environment for it to grow. So why don’t they grow on fingers? Because
we keep these clean and dry and they have daily exposure to light and sun.
You don’t have to be a genius to conclude that if we’d do the same with our
toes as we do with our fingers there should be little chance for the fungus
to grow. So: Don’t wear shoes and have the toes enjoy the sunlight. But that
is not practical for most of us. I do notice that that the fungus seems to be
somewhat less after a few weeks of sunny vacation with my slippers on. So the
sunlight is key. Self treatment could thus be done with a consumer UV tanning
light, but there is sunburn risk and it looks weird to have tanned feet in
winter. Special UV treatment is the most logical solution, but the key thing
is that it should be close to what the sun does with our fingers. We can read
about UV A, B and C radiation. I believe the tanning machines have primarily
a mix of A and B. You shouldn’t get UV-C because these waves are so short
(UV is on the other side of the longwaved infrared spectrum) they may damage
cells and DNA. That’s why you can buy these little UV-C lights to kill germs
on toilet seats. Hairdressers use them to sterilise their instruments. Hmmm.
Better not use too much UV-C for your toes because you may alter DNA causing
side effects you don’t want to have. If you search internet there is a guy
who built his own UV treatment system by combining UV LEDs (the one used as
blacklights for checking money and in discos) with a torch and uses it to
only treat the part of his nail with fungus. Claims it works great (for many
years). That would also be my solution, provided one can buy UV lights that
emit only UVA and B and as little as C as possible, so are close to sunlight.
The sun emits lots of UVC by the way but that is filtered by the ozone layer
as far as we still have it on earth. What happens in the areas with thin or
no ozone layer (e.g. down under): people get lots of skin cancer. Ooops!
Conclusion: Least expensive treatment is lots of natural light and fresh air
for my toes. UV treatment should be a great alternative, but I prefer to wait
to make sure that I don’t develop a melanoma after a $2000 treatment. I have
time: the fungus still needs to capture the remaining three toes… Cheers
Hi, so i lost my toe nail when i was 14. im 17 now, and still have no toenail. every time it grew back i would pick it back off, but now it wont even grow back. what kind of surgery should i look into to fix this problem and grow my toenail back.
please help me.
Hi, I have the fungus on 5 of my fingernails. At least you can cover your toenails to hide this ugly disease. I have it out on display for everyone to see daily at eye level. Nothing has worked for me. I too am hoping for a solution with the advent of some technology in the near future.
I had toe nail fungus for 40 yeas and used everyting in the book.
3 years ago I got fungus on thumb, index and middle fingers on my
left hand. I used vinigar for the past 12 months, no result.I thought laser would do the trick. Oh well… (You may poblish my e mail)
I am 75 now, would be nice to kick the bucket with healthy toes.
Actually I do have a website; Tusks of terror, my book. I am Charles
Jambor
I have been reading these comments and I would just like to say that my office has been doing the PinPointe FootLaser for over a year now and it does work…We say its like going to the dentist and you have your teeth cleaned, you still have to brush your teeth everyday after to prevent cavities…well just like nail fungus after you have the treatment you still need to apply an antifungal cream I suggest teneacide from Blaine labs…dry your feet completely after you get out of the shower, disinfect your shower daily with bleach, throw away all your polish because it is infected with the fungus get an anti fungal polish such as Danipro, don’t use an emery board, sterilize all of your utensils in bleach, get copper anti fungal socks avoid public pools and showers and the nail salons. If you just say hey i have nail fungus and expect to pay 1000.00 and that be done then your a complete idiot…do your research people and don’t say something doesn’t work when you don’t do the proper aftercare…we have over 500 successful patients and awaiting 300 patients to see their results…Not one complaint yet and yes we have done some second treatments on the severe cases at no additional cost.
Years ago I had nail fungus on my right foot. A dermatologist prescribed a medicine (griseofulvin or some such name) to be applied daily. After a year or two, the fungus was gone except for the great toe. But within a year it was back. Eventually back on all toes on the right foot. I gave up.
As I aged, I noticed pain in my right calf muscle after walking several blocks. I consulted the Internet and found this problem described as peripheral artery disease (PAD), a blockage of the arteries. It is caused by blockages in the leg (or arm) arteries. An MRI scan confirmed this. The Internet said symptoms included, in addition to the calf pain, fungus infections of the foot, toe nails in particular. All due to lack of oxygen due to lack of blood circulation caused by leg artery blockages.
I visited three vascular surgeons who didn’t dispute that the toe nail fungus was caused by PAD. However, they did not advise surgery now because the blockages weren’t severe enough–as determined by measuring blood pressure at ankle as well as arm.
It appear that both PAD and toe nail fungus are quite common. It seems to be just something I will have to live with. (However, I am extra cautious because artery disease is a systemic disease, and if it’s causing toe nail fungus now, it could cause really serious illness later. I refer to blockages of the arteries of the heart and of the brain.)
Hope this is helpful.
I had a fungal infection in my index finger nail for many years.
and gave up on it ever going away. I practice natural medicine
and would fast for other health problems (which I now know must
have been connected to the nail fungus), and I take herbs. One
day I noticed it was gone, and I don’t know how long it had been
gone for.
Good morning everyone,
There is a quite cheaper way to deal with “the beast” it is also called “Granny Medicine”
1. Wash your feet with hot water and soap until the water gets cold in order to soften the nail to the maximum.
2. Dry your foot/toe and clean the toenail as deep as you can with a file – not too sharp; do not hurt yourself or bleed!
3. Put a few drops of NATURAL CLOROX (NOT THE SCENTED ONES)on the toenail.
4. You will see some foam surfacing.
5. Wait a few minutes and rinse with clear water..
6. Repeat the process at least 3 times a week.
7. Sounds weird, but it worked for me and after 3 months I was clean.
8. To keep on the safe side, I keep doing that now once a month and since then: NOTHING!
9. I hope it will help, at least for some of you guys.
Have a great day and happy holidays.
Had the 1000 treatment at Waterleaf in Portland Oregon from dr. Su. $1000, followed all directions, no change at all, zero. I am one yr out and toes look identical. Huge waste of time, money, socks, shoes. Sad, don’t waste your money. I told the technician I had never seen someone cured from the laser, she agreed, said “it might help though?”
I am a Podiatrist in the Gulf Coast area with over 15 years of clinical experience in treating Onychomhycosis. I am not convinced as many of the posters indicate that any type of laser is more effective in treating onychomycosis than oral medication. One poster was absolutely correct in pointing out that the salespersons of the lasers do not have the clinical knowledge of what a fungicidal vs fungistatic treatment agent is…nor what the FDA approval is exactly for.
In treating Onychiomycosis you want a treatment that is FDA approved as fungicidal which means that it kills or destroys the fungus. Oral Lamisil is a fungicidal agent. All this crap about it being dangerous is really misleading….it is mo more dangerous than Lipitor for cholesterol. Both meds are hevailvy metabolized by the liver and therefore require a simple blood test….a liver enzyme test. Lamisil only requires the test once before you begin because the med is only taken 3 months. People on Lipitor are generally on it for years and require the enzyme test every six months or so. So do you see any type of outcry from the medical and laser community that Lipitor is a dangerous medicine/ Of course not.
To this day……there is NO LASER FDA APPROVED AS A FUNGICIDAL TREATMENT for toenail fungus or onychomycosis.
All lasers on the market today are only approved as an inhibitor or ablater(pushing the fungus to the side) which is ternmed fungistsatic. They are not approved as a fungicidal or killer of the toenail fungus. I received this information from the corporate office of PinPointe laser myself.
The main reason they do not have the approval is that there not adequete follow up studies with evidence to support a gain of the higher level of FDA approvsl (fungicidal). PinPointe applied for the fubngicidial approvsl but was denied and given the lesser approval as a fungistatic agent only (inhibitor).
The sad truth is that there is still nothing stellar to date to kill toenail fungus. At leat Lamisil, which has the highest clearing rate in clinical evidence based studies, is a five dollar per month prescription at Wal Mart, CVS and others.
If you have any questions…you can email this doctor at svinters@yahoo.com
Let me correct the typo in the 2nd paragraph…..”mo more dangerous” should read as “no more dangerous” Sorry about that.
i feel hopeless. this disease requires too much work to fight and for what? i haven’t allowed myself to enjoy so many things because of this problem. trying to keep up with doing the treatments is difficult to do. i don’t know what to think anymore about these laser treatments and other treatments.
i just want it GONE!
Dr. Svinters, Thanks for your post. I really appreciate your honest and informative information.
I did try the laser and I waste 1200$, It got better for couple of months and came back the fungus in my big toes, I clip the nails all the yellow part and try dr scholl anti fungus treatment and got rid of the problem
This post is out of date, currently their are three lasers that are FDA cleared for fungal nails (onychomycosis). And many new clinical studies have been published showing high success rates, much higher than oral medications and any topicals, creams etc..
Topical solutions… try try try, but they cannot penetrate the nail sufficient to kill the fungus, no matter what they say. How do i know? i tried for three years. No luck. Many topical solutions offer a 90 day money back guarantee. WTF? it takes 9 months to a year for a toenail to grow out. If you quit your job and spend ALL DAY for a year soaking your toes in a topical solution, you might get better results. Like others, I tried oral Lamisil. It worked. but the infection returned a year later. Going to try again, but this time will take the med for a couple or three months after the nail looks “cured”.
Toenail grows extremely slow.
what are the type of lasrs out there currently. and is better than the other?
sorry for the typo’s, what are the name of the lasers out there and is one better than the other?
Ive suffered horrible infections of all ten nails. I saw an ad for Novonail here
in VA where I live. I had the treatment done and so far 9 months later my nails are fungus free
They offer a money back satisfaction guarantee and claimed they only had one person who was not happy. If u live in VA it’s worth the trip. I paid a little under 2000
I’ve had toe nail fungus for over 14 yrs. 6 years ago I took lamisil for just 1 month because I had to take another medicine which would interfere with it. It cleared up all my toes except my big toe. It was mostly cleared but since I stopped the medication it came back!;(
I’m wondering if I can take the medicine again( I had no side effects).
I also have a 13 mth old son who I suspect may have caught the damn infection!!!!!.. His 2 big toes look a bit yelliwish…Im so upset! Wonder how they treat it on children. I’m taking him to the DR next week…
The Cutera genesisplus laser is FDA approved for the treatment of onychomycosis (nail fungus). It is the premier laser for nail fungus because it has a patented micro-second technology, 1064nm long-pulsed wavelength with a 605 nm diode aiming beam. The efficacy is over 70%. To date, there is no permanent cure for nail fungus — if you are prone to develop nail fungus, you are at risk to become re-infected even after successful treatment with any modality (topical, oral or laser). The key to success is prophylactic measures after the nail has cleared. A topical such as Formula3 should be used on the new uninfected nail to prevent recurrence. Also, you need to get new shoes or kill the fungus in your old shoes before you wear them again. You can purchase a germicidal ultraviolent light called SteriShoe and treat all of your shoes. In our office, we are not interested in just getting money from our patients. We want the treatment to be successful — but we also want each patient to be fully informed about ongoing risks to become reinfected. And they need to know that they will not see results for up to 3 months because it takes that long for nails to grow. You can take Biotin to increase nail growth — but a more cost effective approach would be to have your laser treatment in the winter months so that by spring and summer your nails will have had time to grow and hopefully be fungus free. And because not all disfigured nails are due to fungal infections, prior to laser or lamisil therapy, we run a KOH fungus culture to make certain that fungus is present. If a nail is dystrophic but not infected with fungus, we would not waste our time or the patient’s money with treatments that will be ineffective. After all, bad news always travels faster and further than good news. If you are considering laser treatment, find a provider who can run the necessary lab tests to verify that your nail condition is in fact due to fungal infection. If they don’t talk to you about taking precautions to prevent recurrence — more than likely all they care about is making money. Our physicians are in the business of helping people. Before we employee a treatment modality, we have to have a high level of confidence that the treatment will be effective. Of course, in medicine, there are always exceptions and cases that stump all the experts. But there is prudent protocol to be employed with any procedure and treating fungus nails with a laser is no exception. The treatments are expensive because the machine costs over $66,000. Before you spend your money, choose the right provider and make certain they verify that you in fact have nail fungus. And spend some money afterwards on things that will help you prevent reinfection!
It was quick and simple.I am very happy and recommend it to all of you.Thanks god bless
Only have issues on my big toes and one, the right one is much worse than the other one. Not having any resource prior to finding this one, and going to the MD and being told the risks are not worth the reward I have tried a umber fo home remidies. Tea Tree Oil, did not work for me. What I finally did was cut back as much of the dead nail as possible and then used bleach and a tooth brush on the area and vigorously scrubbed the area. I had to do that a couple times to get it all but seems to have worked. Down side is nails took forever to grow back so I used Vapor Rub which seemed to help. Recently went ot the dermo and they did a culture and said no fungus found. But nails are still brittle and I seem to have won the war with one of the toes but am struggling wit hthe other one still. Will try NovoNail and see what they have to say. Have a consultation later this week.
I have fungus in all 10 toes. One of the main culprits is the nail salon! They use the same nail polish on everyone, spreading the fungus from one client to another. They file your infected nails, then file your clean nails, transferring the fungus to the healthy ones. The pedicure baths are not disinfected well. Who knows if they sterilize the tools and buffers and files in between? Best advice if you ever get rid of the fungus- do your nails yourself or have a family member do them. Dry your toes not only with a towel but with a hair dryer on cool or warm. Wear 100% cotton socks and even cut the ends off to let your nails be exposed to air. Wear nothing but non thong sandals around the house so moisture is not trapped. Don’t go barefoot at the airport TSA line and walk around on the floor that 1000′s of people with plantar warts and athlete’s foot have walked before you. Disposable shoe covers work well for this. If you grind your thick toenails down with an electronic device, wear a surgical mask so you don’t inhale the fungus into your lungs! These are nasty germs, not just unsightly. Do it outside if you can with a fan blowing the dust away from you. Good luck!
Took flucanazole pills for a year straight, cured all 10 nasty infected toes. Side effects are not like Lamisil
I had tried various treatments for toenail fungus and the only one I haven’t tried is the laser light. I am glad that I read the posted comments, because now I will know the latest info before going ahead. I will ask for the name of the laser before I go to the appointment to see if it is the one that is FDA approved and I will also ask about the follow up treatment to prevent reinfection. Thanks for the warnings about scams.
Has anyone tried novonail? I heard this is a much different approach…you don’t have to take medications.. I also heard they guarantee cure otherwise money back? Sounds too good