When suffering from nail disease, you may experience brittle, distorted, or discolored nails, and, in some cases, pain or odor from the nailbed. While your finger and toenails are the first defense that protects your fingers and toes from damage, nails are also an indicator to your general health and any possible ailments you may have. A nail is made up of a hard protein called keratin, which is the same substance that is in your hair and skin. When nails are chipped, yellowing, brittle, or infected, they reflect that something is not quite right with your health, and treating your nails can help restore your overall health.
There are a variety of nail diseases that affect your health and the health of your nails differently. Nail diseases include fungal or bacterial infections, tumors, warts, or ingrown nails. One of the main nail diseases is a fungal infection (onychomycosis) that occurs in the nailbeds. Nail diseases can cause discoloration, deformation, chipping, and even the loss of the finger or toenails.
Factors that make you more prone to fungal infections:
A nail disease treatment depends on your particular symptoms and case of nail disease. Oral medications and topical agents may be prescribed to help manage and treat your symptoms. A topical agent like a cream, gel, or ointment can help reduce and eliminate fungal or bacterial infections. In more severe cases, an oral medication may be prescribed to help manage your symptoms.
Laser nail therapy can help treat the fungal infection of a finger or toenail. Laser nail therapy uses a high-powered beam of light that can treat the unhealthy areas of the nailbed that are infected. The laser used in laser nail therapy works to eliminate the fungus that is causing the infection while causing no harm or damage to any healthy nail or tissue. Our dermatologists may combine laser nail therapy with a medicinal regimen for the most effective results.
Laser nail therapy, especially when combined with a medicinal regimennt, is one of the most successful nail fungal treatment options available. It is a minimally invasive procedure that requires little to no down or recovery time after the procedure. The laser helps to remove the fungal infection in your nailbeds, while not inhibiting any healthy tissue or functions of the nails.
During the procedure, the light of the laser nail therapy passes through the nail with no damage or destruction of the nail itself or healthy tissue. Despite the elimination of the fungal infection, the toenail will not immediately be clear and clean. The infection will be successfully treated and eliminated within the nailbed, but the nail itself will need to grow. As your nail grows, the cloudy or discolored portion of the nail will be removed, and a clear, healthy portion of your nail will take its place.
Our dermatologists would be glad to discuss a nail disease treatment with you. To request a personal consultation with our dermatologists to discuss nail disease treatment, please request an appointment online or call 212.838.0270.
