Fungal Nail Treatment for Clear Nails

What You Need To Know

Understanding toenail fungus and how our podiatrists approach effective treatment.

Understanding Toenail Fungus

Toenail fungus (onychomycosis) is a common problem that causes your nail to become discolored and thickened. The nail may also grow brittle and crumble at the edges. Toenail fungus usually isn’t painful, but you may experience pain if the infection worsens, and it can affect one or more nails at a time.

Toenail fungus often begins as a fungal infection in the skin, commonly known as athlete’s foot. The fungus often starts under the nail fold at the end of the nail. Over time, it grows underneath the nail and causes yellow or brownish discoloration. Left untreated, thicker toenails become hard to trim and make it painful to wear shoes.

Common symptoms include a change in toenail appearance, texture, and color, nail thickening, an unpleasant odor, debris under the nail plate, and white marks on the nail plate. You may also notice brittleness, crumbling, or loosening of one or more nails.

Nail fungus affects as many as 10% of people worldwide and most often affects older adults. Risk factors include diabetes, poor circulation, a weakened immune system, excessive sweating, and a history of athlete’s foot. Fungal nail is contagious in public areas like swimming pools, showers, spas, and locker rooms.

If you notice discoloration, thickening, or crumbling of a toenail, schedule an evaluation with your podiatrist. After a thorough physical exam and a culture from the nail to determine the cause, we will build a treatment plan tailored to you.

Treatment Options and Advanced Laser Care

At University Foot and Ankle Institute, we provide a number of treatment options for patients experiencing fungal nail conditions. We realize that every patient is unique and that treatments can’t be one size fits all. Some doctors prefer to simply remove the entire nail, but that is not part of our treatment philosophy. We are conservative in our approach and put patient safety and comfort first.

Treatment for nail fungus includes careful debridement (trimming) of the nails, thinning of the nail plate with a specialized sanding device, prescription topical antifungal medication, and in some cases, prescription oral medication. In severe cases, a nail debridement procedure may be needed to remove the infected part of the nail and surrounding diseased tissues.

For patients seeking a drug-free option, we offer advanced laser treatments including the PinPointe Nd/Yag laser, Cutera GenesisPlus, Lunula Laser, HyperBlue, and Q-Clear. The laser passes energy through the nail to destroy the fungus without harming healthy tissue. Most people do not feel any pain, no anesthesia is needed, and most patients resume normal activities right away.

Because the procedure is often considered cosmetic, laser treatment may not be covered by health insurance. For patients who want an immediate cosmetic improvement, KeryFlex Nail Restoration uses a composite resin to create a flexible, durable, non-porous nail that looks natural while the underlying nail grows out.

Visible improvement occurs gradually as your nail grows out, with complete regrowth taking up to 9 to 12 months. We also discuss preventive strategies at your visit to reduce the chance of reinfection.