Nail Fungus Therapy - Vancouver Medi Spa
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Nail Fungus Therapy

At Vancouver Medi Spa the ND Yag 1064 wavelength is the ‘Gold Standard’ in medical-grade lasers. The FDA has approved a laser known as ND Yag for the treatment of Nail Fungus!

A series of quick, safe and painless treatments have proven effective at killing nail fungus on the toes or the fingers.

This versatile laser is useful for many other indications as well, but in the treatment of nail fungus allows us to apply just enough bulk heating at the perfect depth to kill the fungus.

ClearSteps™ is a revolutionary new procedure for treating Onychomycosis. It is a non-invasive laser procedure to treat the affected nail and skin. It is simple, quick, safe and effective.

What is Onychomycosis?

Onychomycosis, or nail infection, is a persistent fungal infection of the nail bed, matrix or plate. It is the most common nail disorder in adults, accounting for one-third of all fungal skin infections and up to 50 percent of all nail diseases. Toenails are affected more often than fingernails. The infection can cause nails to become yellow or discoloured. The advanced infection causes thick, brittle nails that often separate from the nail bed. It can also cause discomfort when wearing shoes or walking.

What are the causes of Onychomycosisi?

The most common cause of onychomycosis is dermatophyte fungus that invades the dead tissue of skin or nails. Other causes include contact with certain moulds or species of yeasts.

The overall prevalence of onychomycosis ranges from 2 to 14 percent of the population.

Onychomycosis is caused by contact with infective fungal agents. Since these agents are present everywhere in our environment, everyone potentially is at risk for infection.

Where can you get Onychomycosis?

Onychomycosis is caused by contact with infective fungal agents. Since these agents are present everywhere in our environment, everyone potentially is at risk for infection. Common sources for infection could include public showers, swimming pools, nail spas and gyms. Nail trauma and tight-fitting shoes can also lead to infection.

Nail fungus loves to grow in dark, moist places, like our shoes for example! Swimmers, Hockey Players, Runners and other athletes are especially susceptible but anyone can get it, or should I say catch it?

What are the symptoms?

Distorted, thickened or discoloured nails, yellow or white streaks on or under the nails, brittle, crumbly or ragged nails and nails that have separated from the underlying skin.

What are treatment options?

Current treatment options include topical drugs and oral antifungal drugs. Topical drugs are applied directly to the nails daily for a period of 6 to 12 months.

This treatment is often ineffective because the drug has difficulty passing through the nail to reach the site of the infection.

Oral drugs can be effective and are usually taken for a period of 6 to 12 months. However, there are many side effects associated with these drugs and in some cases, weekly blood tests are required to monitor liver function.

95
%

of patients were clear of infection after 3 months of treatment

What is ClearSteps?

ClearSteps is a revolutionary new procedure for treating onychomycosis. It is a non-invasive laser procedure to treat the affected nail and skin. It is simple, quick, safe and effective.

How does it work?

The treatment involves passing a laser beam over the infected nail and surrounding tissue, resulting in a photo-thermal heating effect that weakens and kills the fungi that cause the infection. A single treatment usually takes about 45 minutes to treat 10 nails.

You may feel a heating sensation during the treatment; however, you can leave immediately after the procedure and resume your daily routine. You could also experience some slight discolouration of the nail after the treatment.

The ClearSteps treatment is usually performed four times, at one week intervals. All of the nails should be treated during every treatment. Laser light can also effectively treat fungus which has infected skin tissue.

  • Step 1: File down the Nail. During onychomycosis the nail will become deformed and overgrown, it may also thicken. Filing down the nail allows laser light to fully penetrate into the treatment site.
  • Step 2: Administer Nd: YAG laser pulses in a circular pattern covering the entire nail. Slightly overlap the beam so that the nail is fully covered. The patient should feel a slight heating sensation throughout the nail.
  • Step 3: Target Nd: YAG laser pulses around the perimeter of the nail bed and around the finger or toe. Often parasitic fungus has worked its way beyond the nail bed and needs to be eliminated in all the tissue surrounding the nail to prevent recurrence.
What are the results?

The Results are CLEAR! may be seen after a single ClearSteps™ session, however best results are typically achieved through a series of 3–4 treatments.

Successful treatment will result in the growth of a new, healthy nail; however, it could take up to 1 year to see an entirely clear nail, depending on the rate of growth.

95% of patients were clear of infection after 3 months of treatment.

Is this treatment safe & effective, without side effects?

Deep, pulse-profile heating of the nail bed stimulates the killing of parasitic fungus. The natural growth and immune processes of the body are then able to restore the nail to its pristine state.

Compared to traditional methods, the effects of laser light spread evenly throughout the tissue and are not subject to either the limits of chemical diffusion (as are topicals) or the induction of hepatotoxic side effects (as is the case with oral medications).

Pre & Post Treatment Instructions
  • Remove all nail polish
  • Ensure nails are trimmed & cleaned thoroughly with a nail brush
  • We highly recommend the use of the SteriShoe to pre-treat each pair of shoes; if you do not have a SteriShoe apply anti-fungal spray to all shoes.
  • Do not apply any topical antifungals (creams, oils, or powders) for 2 days prior to treatment.
  • Bring a pair of clean socks and shoes to wear home After your treatment: To help prevent reinfection of the nail:
  • Try not to walk barefoot in public places (pool, gym, etc.)
  • Keep nails trimmed and cleaned (disinfect instruments after each use)
  • Always trim healthy nails first and then affected nails to prevent spreading to healthy nails.
  • Nail polish may be applied 24 hours after treatment.

Before & After