Treatment for nail fungus
Toe nail fungus or onychomycosis is a chronic fungal infection of the nail bed. Treatment for toenail fungus has been challenging because once the nail fungus has taken hold in the nail it takes a long time to clear up the infection. It is important to continue treatment until the nail has fully grown out, as untreated fungal spores will spread and multiply.
Traditional topical treatment (creams, sprays and paint on solutions) can work but are if they are not applied consistently (daily without fail) they are not effective enough to clear up the infection. Cure rate for topical treatment is 6-23%.
Oral medications can be more effective than topical options however they come with the risk of side effects and potential liver damage, additionally oral meds require ongoing blood work. Cure rate for oral meds is 45-70%
Toe FX has introduced a new treatment that uses photo disinfection therapy
This therapy requires the client to commit to 8-10 sessions at 2-week intervals. The length of treatment can vary by client and depends on severity of infection, speed of nail growth and fungal response to treatment. Once 50% improvement has been reached, maintenance treatments every 6 weeks will prevent recurrence of onychomycosis. Treatment should continue for a minimum of 1 year to allow the nail to grow out completely. In clinical trials 76% of nails showed a 50-100% reduction in fungus. In 6 months of treatment 97% of toes responded to Toe Fx therapy.How does it work?
The Toe Fx Serum contains a photosensitizer, herbal extracts and a solvent. The serum is non toxic. The blue serum works by binding to the fungal cells and staining them in a way that makes them vulnerable to destruction by the photodisinfection red light system. The red light system is a medical device approved by Health Canada.
Regularly scheduled treatments every 2 weeks provide the consistency needed to reduce the fungus and prevent reinfection of the new growth nail.
Benefits of Toe Fx
- No side effects
- Fungal nail treatments are routinely scheduled (every 2 weeks X 10 visits) and requires no home treatment between visits
Contraindications
Although no adverse reactions have been reported, there remains a potential for an adverse reaction in clients with glucose -6 phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency(G6PHD) and clients with allergies/hypersensitivity to methylene blue or methyl methacrylate.
Will the fungus come back?
Reinfection is possible. People with a genetic predisposition, elderly, immunocompromised and those with diabetes are more likely to experience reinfection. Your nurse will share ways to decrease the risk of reinfection. If you choose, a fungal nail treatment program is available for those at higher risk.
