Nail fungal infection is called Onchymycosis and is caused by fungi called “Dermatophytes”
Nails start to develop small yellowish spots and then spread deep in nail matrix and make nail loose its color,texture and appearance and becomes opaque and brown.Later on as infection continue to grow, nails start looking thick,distorted and disfigured with brittle edges and deposits underneath it. Infection gradually spreads to adjacent nails if condition permits.Nails become to prone to injury and other bacterial infection like cellulitis and can cause gangrene and toe amputations in diaetic patients. Yeasts and molds can also cause it.

Fungi usually invade through tiny cuts in toes and fingernails and thru web inbetween  toes. What makes them survive and spread and thrive is the moistness and warmth and dark environments and poor circulation and weak immune systems,  wearing shoes for longer duration and excessive seating like hyperhidrosis and frequent injuries like athletes and people with Athlete's foot,psoriasis, working in damp and moist conditions.. Diabetes and Hypothyroidism and poor hygiene make it prone to develop nail fungus infection. Diabetic and Smoker patients who have PVD( peripheral vascular disease) are more prone to develop it .

Conventional treatment are with anti-fungal antibiotics like Lamisil and Sporonax .Sometime pts needs surgical removal of whole nails.

Laser treatment is very unique in the sens that it can kill all fungal elements embeded in nail matrix by the thermal reaction and heat it generates in the nail. Treatment usually requires 4 treatment 1-2 weeks apart.Procedure in not painful at all but you do feel some discomfort and treatment lasts for 10 minutes for all toes nails. Our European Fotona Laser XPMAX which is 1064 nm, ND;Yag laser is the perfect solution for Nail fungus. Please call our office for a free consult. 626-961-7700.