Center for Ankle and Foot Care Blogspot

Treating nail fungus is a team effort!

Many patients are interested in having the State of the Art PinPointe Laser Treatment for their discolored, thickened fungal toenails.  Before anyone jumps into having this procedure done, we sit down and explain to them why, what they do at home, is just as important as the Laser treatment itself. Yes the PinPointe Laser for toenail fungus is an amazing procedure, but patients have to be active in their roll to prevent any reinfection!

How the PinPointe Laser works is simple. This patented laser is specially designed to shine through your toenail and destroy the specific pathogens embedded in and under your nail causing the infection.  Unlike other lasers that are used for skin or pain treatments, the PinPointe™ laser is designed and used for only one purpose; to safely destroy molds and bacteria that cause fungus nail infections (Onychomycosis). If the nails is extremely thick it can take up to three treatments and quite a bit of patience, as it truly takes 9 months to a years for a whole new nail to grow out.

Before the patient has the PinPointe Laser performed a thorough evaluation of the skin and nails is performed. If the patient has a bad case of athlete's foot, they will be given a prescription for a topical anti fungal for the skin. I would see them back after a couple of weeks before I would perform the laser treatment. I explain that success is dependent on the foot being in an environment that is free of fungus. If a patient has the PinPointe Laser procedure performed, what they do from that moment on can play a role in their success rate. Once we have performed this procedure, patients are given instructions on preventive care for the toes.

 

What to Avoid After Having the PinPointe Laser Treatment :

• Any shoes that you have worn before the Laser (especially shoes you have worn without socks)
• Nylons or panty hose
• Going barefoot in environments that could expose you to fungus again
• Pedicures in places that do not AUTOCLAVE instruments and take all precautions to protect you
• Wet moist environmental exposure to feet(ie. constantly having wet shoes) usually occupational hazard

Why it is Important to Avoid these things After The Laser:

• Any shoes that you have worn before the Laser was Performed are basically little incubators for the fungus, putting these shoes back on puts you at risk for reinfection!
• Nylons do not breath, again causing an environment that will be moist and possibly be a red flag for your toes!
• Taking precautions in environments that you are not familiar with is important, if Joe Schmo has fungus and you walk in his house barefoot, you are increasing your chance of reinfection!
• Do not get a Pedicure unless you know: that all instruments are autoclaved, they use liners between each client, that the pedicure chairs are pipeless and tubeless, that they do not reuse any files on anyone and that they do not reuse nail polish from client to client!
• If you are a landscaper, chef or someone whose feet are constantly getting wet at work, you need to change your shoes during the day and even consider spraying your feet with an anti fungal spray during the day while at work!
• 
  There is a shoe sterilizer that we recommend called SteriShoe that you can purchase to sterilize your shoes daily!

If you are interested in learning more about the PinPointe Laser for toenail fungus, feel free to check out our website: http://toenailfungusorlando.com 

Our webpage has all the information you need to make an educated decision if this procedure is right for you. We have an office in Clermont, Tavares and The Villages in Florida. We would love to help you take a step in the right direction to healthy more beautiful toes.