Fungal nail infections, also known as onychomycosis, are a relatively common condition. Fungal nail infections affect about 10% of adults in the United Kingdom. The prevalence of fungal nail infections increases with age, with up to 50% of individuals over the age of 70 affected. Fungal nail infections are more common in toenails than fingernails and are more common in men than women. They are also more common in people with certain underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, or immune system disorders.

Fungal nail infections are caused by the same fungus that causes athlete’s foot. In fact it is always the fungus from the skin on the foot that migrates into a nail often because the nail has been damaged somehow. Whilst they don’t often pose a serious health risk, an untreated infection will not go away by itself and can spread around the feet and other parts of the body – often to the groin!

Infected nails can alter in appearance over time, becoming white,yellow, orange or brown and have an thickened and can be crumbly. You may also notice a musty smell. Some people find this an embarrassing condition that can be uncomfortable and even painful.

Until recently, treatment options have been limited to topical and oral medication, with disappointing results and potential side effects. K Laser fungal nail treatment targets the fungal cells themselves, heating them up to destroy them in the first instance but also to increase blood flow to the area to help your body to fight the infection itself.

How Does It Work?

K-Laser therapy targets and destroy the fungus that causes nail infections. The laser emits a focused beam of light at a specific wavelength that penetrates the nail and heats the fungus, destroying it without causing damage to the surrounding tissue.

Laser therapy is believed to be effective for treating nail fungus because the light energy from the laser can penetrate the nail and reach the fungus, which can be difficult to access with topical or oral antifungal medications.

Fungal Nail Laser treatment is:

• Safe & painless
• No recovery or downtime
• No side effects
• No systemic drugs
• Suitable for patients with diabetes

K laser treatments are carried out by our podiatrists who are degree-qualified and  HCPC registered 

We will explain all the options available to you in an intial consultation.  We may also need to test for the presence of fungi and confirm the diagnosis if appropriate.

A typical K-laser treatment plan doesn’t always need many laser treatments before you see positive results. It typically involves a course of 3 treatments in a week and we repeat this at monthly intervals, each lasting approximately 20-30 minutes. 

We provide straightforward aftercare advice, and you can resume your normal daily activity after each treatment without any discomfort.

How do we treat your nails?

Step 1: We will thin the nail using a gentle nail drill to reduce the thickness of the nail. This allows laser light to fully penetrate into the treatment site.

Step 2: The laser light is applied straight lines covering the entire nail. The patient feels a heating sensation throughout the nail.

Step 3: We treat 3 times in a week and then the patient returns after a month for another 3 treatments. We may repeat this this until we see clear nail growth. The number of treatments needed varies depending on the severity of the infection. 

In roughly 12 months most patients are completely cleared from onychomycosis

What are the benefits?

• Increased self confidence
• Motivation to pursue a healthier lifestyle
• No embarrassment when wearing sandals
• Your toes feel more comfortable when inside shoes because they are no longer thick and crumbly.
• Your feet feel healthy and comfortable.
• You won’t infect your friends and relatives.

You can book an online consultation here or call the clinic and book a consultation with one of the podiatry team.