The Doctors are excited to learn about a new laser treatment for toenail fungus. Dermatologist Dr. Glynis Ablon is with her patient Linda and explains how the procedure works.
Toenail fungus can be caused by a bad pedicure, walking barefoot, or just occur as someone ages. 10% of all Americans have it and as you age it gets more prevalent.
Watch: Extra Toenail? Find out How to Treat This Foot Issue!
Dr. Ablon shares that in the past there weren’t a lot of great options. There were topicals with only a success rate of 10% or lasers which were painful and also not very successful. Medications are a possible treatment but there are side effects such as the risk of liver damage and even then, the success rate is only 50%. That is why Dr. Ablon is so excited about this FDA-approved, pain-free option.
This laser doesn’t deal with heat but works on different photochemical reactions. Linda says she has tried many treatments over the years and this procedure has been working great for her. Dr. Ablon adds that this laser also killed a bacterial infection on Linda’s toenails.
Dr. Ablon says most patients need between 4 – 6 sessions. She does four sessions once every two weeks and then after, usually has a check-up at two months and then two months after that. She reminds people that toenails take a while to grow out, normally 4 – 6 months, but as we get older, it could take closer to 9 – 12 months.
Watch: How to Best Handle and Treat an Ingrown Toenail
While Dr. Ablon implies that most insurance doesn’t cover the treatment she says that some of the topical medications cost over one-thousand dollars, and for five treatments this laser cost less than that.
Chiropractor Dr. Bryan Abasolo asks about using apple cider vinegar as a home remedy for toenail fungus. Does that work? Dr. Ablon says that she loves home remedies and apple cider vinegar! She says it’s not a bad idea to try using it very early on but if the fungus issue doesn’t resolve after that, see your dermatologist.
