Fungal nails (or onychomycosis) is an infection of the nail, nail bed and the nail plate under the surface of the nail.
The infection is caused by a group of fungi known as dermophytes. These tiny organisms thrive on skin and keratin, which is the main component of hair and nails. When dermophytes take hold, the nail often discolours.
Eventually, the nail can thicken, harden, become brittle and even fall off. The resulting thicker nails are difficult to trim and make walking painful when wearing shoes.
This nail infection can spread to your other toenails, and even your fingernails. If left untreated, the infection could spread and make it uncomfortable to walk in enclosed footwear
It can start as a mere blemish and turn into ugly, embarrassing nails. This aggravating disease can take months to control if it’s left ignored.
Onyfix is a toenail correction system that helps your nail grow straight and strong. It is essentially a non-invasive strip that is cured to the nail using an LED blue light on your nail. It’s really useful for people with split, cracked or crumbling nails affected by nail fungus.
Onyfix works in conjunction with our Lunula laser treatment. It provides the structure to let your nail grow straight.
Your podiatrist attaches a strip of Onyfix to your nail after it has been cleaned. The whole process is pain-free during application and throughout the entire treatment. Your podiatrist will then monitor the Onyfix as your nail grows out.
The Lunula cold laser uses cool wavelengths of light to kill fungi. This device has two laser beams, one with a wavelength of 405nm and the other with a wavelength of 635nm. The blue beam weakens the outer wall of the fungal cells, while the red beam strengthens the body’s immune cells and improves blood flow to the area to help speed up the treatment. This dual-diode approach allows the laser to target the fungi while also boosting the body’s natural defences.
Cold laser therapy has been shown to be effective in treating fungal infections. In one study, 89% of participants experienced an increase in clear nail growth and 67% had a successful treatment. The clinical and mycological cure rates were 70% and 95%, respectively, and these figures rose to 90% and 95% by 12 months. All participants had new, healthy nail growth by the end of the study. Another study using strict protocols showed that individual success rates were as high as 86% at week 12, and reached 99% by week 48.
For toenails, appointments are $150 for the first appointment with the podiatrist, and the following two appointments are $75 each. For fingernails, appointments are $50 each.