The Laser Therapy Company

General information

About Us

We opened our first laser clinic in 2010, specialising in pigment removal. Our first nano-second Q-Switched Nd:YAG laser gave tremendous results for tattoo and semi-permanent make-up removal and we've built a solid reputation thanks to our insistence on only sourcing the very best equipment and training. Lasers have come a long way in 7 years. Our current lasers can acheive so much more than our older machines. We still use Nd:YAG Q-Switched Lasers but they are vastly improved on the older models and eminently suited to treating fungal nail infections.

All fungal nail treatments are carried out by our Senior Clinician, Carl, who is fully trained and certified and is a member of both the Aesthetic Laser Technicians Association and the British Medical Laser Association. Carl has worked in clinical environments for more than 25 years and is highly professional, friendly and approachable and follows the highest standards of asepsis and hygiene.

Based in Froncysyllte near Llangollen in North East Wales we offer a mobile service for a radius of about 30 miles covering North East Wales, North Wales, Denbighshire, Cheshire West and Chester, Wirral, Powys and North Shropshire. Clients who live outside our area are welcome to visit us here in Froncysyllte.

Fungal nail infection

Fungal nail infection is a medical condition known as onychomycosis. As many as one in ten people suffer from fungal nail infection and it has, until now, been notoriously difficult to cure.

Classical treatment options include softening or removing layers of nail or even drilling tiny holes, topical antifungal lacquers, antifungal tablets, or various combinations of these. The most effective treatments for onychomycosis are antifungal agents which have been the mainstay of therapy for years. The downside of the antifungals are that they require blood testing to monitor the liver because they are highly toxic and also that they require long treatment courses (approximately 6 months for toenails and 4 months for fingernails). Very often medicines have to be prescribed for the problems that these antifungals cause, so there is also the issue of drug interactions. Additionally, long lasting treatment means high treatment costs. These treatments might not even be effective. There are high rates of recurrence. As much as 22% over three years and even higher over five years.

Infections are unsightly and embarrassing and the symptoms can be particularly unpleasant :

Thickened nails that are crumbly and brittle
Distorted shape
Lacking lustre
Yellow or brown colour

The condition is caused by tiny spores that thrive in warm, moist conditions like those in trainers and shoes, or even underneath false nails, and the smallest amount of damage, like stubbing your toe or cutting your toenail too short, can create a pathway for the spores to infect the nailbed.

There are a number of options available when a fungal infection develops :

Do nothing

As the condition is mainly cosmetic you could decide to do nothing. The condition will not cure itself, however, and could spread to other nails or the nails of people you share a bed or a swimming pool with.

Use over the counter remedies

Some mild cases can respond to pharmacy treatments but more severe cases won't and even mild cases require many Months of treatment, usually only treating the symptoms, not the underlying spores, meaning there is a very high re-infection rate.

Visit your GP/Podiatrist

Your GP will likely prescribe strong oral medication that you will need to take for upwards of 6-12 Months. There are severe side effects including: Stomach ache, headaches and nausea. The medication can also cause jaundice, heart disease or liver failure.

Book a Laser Treatment

Just 2 treatments one Month apart is all it takes to destroy the fungus. No side effects. No toxic chemicals.

Groundbreaking treatment

Clinical Studies

In 2013 Kostas Kalokasidis et al published a paper in the 'Dermatology Research and Practice' journal after completion of studies in Dermatology Clinics in six European countries. They were investigating whether Nd:YAG lasers could be used for treating fungal nail infections which were otherwise very difficult to treat.

Their findings were quite astonishing.

They discovered that treatment with long pulse Nd:YAG lasers produced heat which destroyed the fungus and spores responsible for the infection, which effectively cured the fungal infection after a course of 3-6 treatments.

Even more astonishing were the results found when using short pulse Nd:YAG lasers traditionally used for tattoo removal and laser carbon facials, which targeted the pigment within the fungus to destroy the infection without creating heat.

They found that just 2 treatments one month apart would destroy the fungus completely in 95% of cases.

A copy of their article can be found here : https://www.hindawi.com/journals/drp/2013/379725/

Treatment Protocol

Pre-treatment

It is VITAL that you follow pre-treatment and post-treatment protocols to ensure the best possible outcome from the treatment and to avoid reinfection.

1. Correct diagnosis
You would need to be sure that you have a fungal infection. There are conditions which show the same symptoms that are not caused by fungus and treatment of these conditions would be ineffective. Visit your GP or Podiatrist to ensure that your diagnosis is correct. Laser treatment is only effective for Onychomycosis.

2. Prepare nails for treatment
It is important to ensure that the affected feet/hands are clean and that nails are clipped as closely as possible. There must be no residues of either nail varnish or nail varnish remover.

3. New socks and anti-fungal powder
You must have brand new socks to wear after treatment and all shoes and socks must be treated with anti-fungal powder to guard against reinfection. We would advise discarding all your old socks if at all possible.

Treatment

Properly effective treatment involves treating all the nails on the affected foot or hand as fungal spores could be present in adjacent nails without showing any symptoms, increasing the risk of reinfection.

We use a properly calibrated, UK sourced, Q-Switched Nd:YAG nano-second (short pulse) laser. The laser is passed over the whole nail at 2 different wavelengths, as set out in the 2013 Kostas Kalokasidis et al clinical study. There should be no discomfort, although you may feel gentle heat. Each nail takes approximately 2-3 minutes to treat.

You will not see any change in the nail on the day of treatment. It can take up to 3 months for the damaged nail to grow out, but in the new nail growth you should begin to see fresh, healthy nails emerge. Results do vary and we cannot guarantee 100% infection free status (nor can any other laser clinic), but studies have proved that 3 months after laser treatment, 95% of laser treated clients are infection free.

Post-treatment

Change your socks.
It is better to buy all new socks. If you can't do that then make sure all your socks have been thoroughly washed, along with any bedding and towels that you use, in order to reduce the chances of becoming reinfected.

Keep feet dry and change socks and shoes regularly.
It is important to ensure that perspiration is kept to a minimum as any stray spores could reinfect your nails given the right conditions. Use a good anti-perspirant and change your shoes regularly.

Use antifungal powder
Buy a good antifungal powder from a pharmacy. Sprinkle powder in all your shoes, slippers and socks for at least 3 months from the date of treatment.