Nail fungus is a chronic condition that may be embarrassing, but it’s a lot more common that you might think — and not even celebrities are immune.  Pop icon Madonna was recently called out for appearing at the launch of her new perfume wearing open-toed shoes and showing toenails that appeared to be afflicted with fungus.  Former American Idol judge Paula Abdul reportedly dealt with a particularly painful infection blamed on poorly sterilized equipment at a nail salon.  There were even rumors going around last year that Twilight star Robert Pattinson was walking around on set with what looked like fungus-infected toenails.

So how do stars say goodbye to nail fungus and hello to healthy feet? Most likely with the help of lasers — the most effective path to red carpet-ready nails.

Nail Fungus 101
Believe it or not, nail fungus affects a lot of us — 36 million Americans to be exact. So if you’re currently dealing with the frustrating condition, you’re not alone. Studies suggest that as many as eight percent of all adults — and 20 percent of adults over the age of 40 — have fungal nail infections. A fungus infection is the most common type of nail disease and causes nails to become thick, discolored, and brittle (yikes).

But fear not; there’s hope for getting your feet back in shape in no time.

Lasers to the Rescue
The best way to get rid of nail fungus (and most likely how the stars do it) is with lasers. More specifically, the PinPointe™ laser treatment, which is designed to kill fungi with laser light. The light is able to penetrate the infected nail without damaging either the nail itself or the surrounding healthy skin. The quick in-office procedure, which only takes a mere 10 minutes per foot, is the best option for effectively fixing your feet (and getting reacquainted with open-toed shoes).

Laser treatment for nail fungus really is a revolutionary breakthrough procedure. After years of likely bouncing from one topical treatment to the next, only to have the infection return or never really go away, sufferers can finally rest easy knowing there’s an option for fighting nail fungus that works. Lasers have been known to surpass oral and topical medications and succeed where most other treatments have failed. The PinPointe™ laser is the nail fungus fix people have been waiting for.

How — and Why PinPointe Works
The PinPointe™ procedure is done in a doctor’s office and takes only about 30 minutes (so you can easily fit it into your schedule).  During the laser treatment itself, you’ll feel what many people describe as a warming sensation and some mild pinpricks as the light penetrates your nails. It may feel a bit strange, but it doesn’t hurt. Your doctor will likely make two passes with the laser over your infected nails and one pass over your uninfected nails.

There are no known side effects so you can go back to whatever you were doing right away. You can even paint your nails a pretty hue right after your treatment (to celebrate your new nails, perhaps?). As for how many sessions you’ll need, most people only need one. More treatments may be needed if your fungus is severe or if reinfection occurs due to one’s poor upkeep.

If you’ve been hiding your feet due to nail fungus, it’s time to take your toes out of hiding. One laser treatment can give you the nails you’ve always wanted and ensure you never feel embarrassed by going barefoot again. Here’s to happy, healthy feet!

Artificial nails have been known to have several adverse effects on natural nails. Side-effects including physical nail abuse, chemical reactions and the ever-dreaded bacterial or fungal infections have been reported by patient users. These beauty must-haves are no longer just for special occasions, and the increasing amount of long-term daily wear has caused doctors to cringe with concern.

Nail fungus thrives on warm, moist environments in which bacteria can grow.  Often a gap will develop between the artificial nail if bumped or jarred. In some cases, the bond between the real nail and the artificial nail is stronger than the bond between the real nail and nail bed, causing the nail bed to tear away and expose space for an infection to occur.

Nail fungus may also occur when artificial nails are left in place for a long period of time. This occurrence is heightened when a nail salon uses tools which were not properly sanitized. If infection is a concern, be sure to get evaluated by a dermatologist if any common symptoms become visible.

Many are well aware of these concerns of infection and still opt to visit their nearest beauty salons on a regular basis for beautification services. If this is you, expert dermatologist, Dr. Eric Bernstein, strongly suggests bringing your own sterilized set of utensils in order to minimize the chance catching any fungus which may have contaminated the instruments prior to your visit.

As early as October 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings, which recommends that healthcare workers “not wear artificial fingernails or extenders when having direct contact with patients at high risk.”

Affiliated Podiatrists of Chicago Feature the PinPointe FootLaser

Transcript:

Narrator: Are you embarrassed to show your feet in public? You need to know that you’re not alone. It’s estimated that 35 million Americans, or more than 10% of the US population, live with nail fungus. This problem is not only embarrassing, but can be painful as well. This team of highly trained specialists at affiliated podiatrists, a modern successful podiatric surgical orthopedic practice established back in 1946, has been treating all foot problems for generations. At their full service upscale podiatric practice. Doctors Joel Feder, Mark Feder, Stephen Miller, and Ralph Esposito have the answer you’re looking for to clear your nail fungus. They were the first in the Chicago area to offer the PinPointe FootLaser, state of the art laser technology, and are proud to still be the only providers in the city of Chicago.

Dr. Joel Feder: A nail fungus is almost a national epidemic now, there are that many cases. It’s caused by typically different fungi, molds, and yeast. Which not only get on top of the nail, but when they get underneath, into the nail bed, that’s when you have a problem because the topicals aren’t going to penetrate the nail to eradicate it.

Narrator: Once a fungus gets under the toenails, it can be very difficult to treat.

Dr. Feder: The use of oral medications is also effective about 60% of the time. But we get concerned about the long term effect on a patient’s liver when they have to take the drug for quite a lengthy period. With those two factors, we were very happy find the PinPointe FootLaser.

Narrator: This amazing laser technology is fast becoming the first treatment of choice for nail fungus.

Dr. Feder: The laser penetrates through the nail plate, into the nail bed, it winds up vaporizing the DNA of the fungus or mold, which kills it. Now, as the nail grows out, it grows out healthy clear nail and the infected portion is eliminated with growth. The whole process can take a year or longer, depending on the growth rate of the average adult’s nail. This is so simple for people and the fact that it doesn’t require any kind of sedation, it doesn’t require any type of anesthetic, it’s easily done in an office setting. It takes 35 to 45 minutes of the patient’s time. During which time we also sterilize their shoes because we want to prevent recontamination. So give them a couple of products to take home to take care of their shoes and their slippers and their closet to kill any spores or molds that might be there, again, to prevent recontamination. The condition itself it’s everywhere. We pick it up in hotels, in health clubs, spas, and it’s a susceptibility issue. One person may surround themselves with it and never catch it. Someone else brushes by them and they’ll pick it up. Same thing like some people can get a cold or the flu easily, and other people don’t get the cold or flu. So once it’s cleared up, it doesn’t mean you have lifelong immunity. It means you have to take certain precautions to not contract it again, based on your immune system.

Narrator: Affiliated podiatrists don’t treat foot problems, but treat people who happen to have foot problems, with experience that you can trust.

I have severe toe nail fungus with yellow, thickened toenails. I was wondering about the new laser treatment.
– Mary, Bend

Yellow, thickened toenails are usually caused by toenail fungus. The medical term for this condition is onychomycosis.

A healthcare provider usually can look at the toenails and make a diagnosis, but sometimes a culture is required. Half of Americans over 40 have onychomycosis.

There are a few different treatment to consider. You can try over-the-counter antifungal creams, but they only have an 8 percent cure rate. There has been some success with alternative remedies such as soaking your feet in either Clorox (a mixture of 80 percent water, 20 percent Clorox), Vicks VapoRub, vinegar, Listerine, or tea tree oil.

Or, there’s oral antifungal medication prescribed by a healthcare provider, such as Lamisil. However, it must be taken for at least three months and can be toxic to the liver, so regular blood tests should be performed to monitor the liver function. According to Lamisil’s FDA-approved prescribing information, 3.3 percent of patients in clinical trials had abnormal levels of liver enzymes, a possible warning sign of liver damage.

There also is a relatively new laser treatment, although one campany – PinPointe USA Inc. – has received Food and Drug Administration clearance. It’s supposed to be painless without any side effects. The cost can range from $750-$1,500 per treatment, and isn’t generally covered by insurance.

A study published last year in the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association looked at 34 patients. After four laser treatments, 85 percent of the nails showed new growth without fungus. Keep in mind that this was a very small study, and was funded by one of the laser companies.

For any of the therapies it takes about 10-12 months for the new, healthy nail to grow in. Other infected members of the family may need to be treated because it is contagious (particularly when using the same shower). To prevent fungus recurrence you must follow a diligent hygiene program which includes: anti-fungal spray for feet and shoes, not going barefoot, keeping feet clean and dry, changing socks daily, and throwing out old flip-flops and sandals.

– Dr. Phyllis Ritchie is an infectious-disease specialist.

Correction added Nov. 11, 2011: Soaking your feet in a mixture of 80 percent water and 20 percent Clorox has been used as an alternative treatment for toenail fungus. A story in Wednesday’s Living section did not specify diluting the Clorox.

Original Article: Here

Dr. Stuart Mogul from Manhattan, NY is featured on Fox News using the PinPointe FootLaser – a new treatment option to cure unsightly nail fungus effecting millions of Americans.

Transcript:

Female Newscaster: It’s an incredibly embarrassing, but it’s a very common problem, nail fungus.

Male Newscaster: Now, there is a new way to get rid of it. Dr. Sapna Parikh has more, doctor.

Dr. Sapna Parikh: Good morning, guys. You excited that we’re talking about nail fungus?

Female Newscaster: Oh yes.

Male Newscaster: Well, it’s something that people deal with.

Dr. Sapna Parikh: Nobody ever talks about it, but you’re right and there are not a lot of ways to get rid of it. So, now there is a new way to treat this nail fungus without any sort of medication. Check this out.

Sarah Capozello [SP]: That really bothers me and I want to get rid of it.

Jean-Pierre Barthelemy [SP]: Yeah, it’s a very embarrassing condition.

Female Narrator: Sarah Capozello [SP] and Jean-Pierre Barthelemy [SP] both suffer from fungal infections of their toenails. It’s usually not a painful condition. But it causes discoloration and brittleness of the nail.

Sarah Capozello [SP]: I don’t even like to wear open-toed sandals in the summer and I always have to get my nails painted.

Dr. Stuart Mogul: Probably half the patients that come into my office, whether they’re coming in to see me for fungal nails or not have it.

Female Narrator: Dr. Stuart Mogul is a podiatrist in Manhattan. He says that once the fungus is in the nail, it is extremely difficult to get rid of.

Dr. Stuart Mogul: The nail fungus resides in the area below the toenail above the skin, sandwiched between the skin and the nail. It also can extend back into the root of the nail for which new nail is constantly growing.

Female Narrator: Treatments like creams or ointments often don’t work, and anti-fungal pills have many potential side effects, but now there’s a new treatment for nail fungus. It’s called the PinPointe Laser. The specially-designed laser beam goes through the nail and kills the fungus.

Dr. Stuart Mogul: The good thing about this therapy is that it’s safe. The FDA has approved it as being [inaudible 0:01:29]

Female Narrator: The laser does generate a little heat, which can be uncomfortable at times, especially on the nails that have the most fungus.

Dr. Stuart Mogul: Anything?

Sarah Capozello [SP]: Yeah, that hurt a little bit.

Female Narrator: Dr. Mogul says the treatment has so far shown promise. But it’s new so there are no long-term studies and though it was a one-time treatment, it can take several months to see results. Jean-Pierre says he hopes his nails are better by the summer.

Jean-Pierre Barthelemy [SP]: I’m going to ceremoniously throw out my shoes and wear the flip-flops all throughout Brooklyn, parts of Queens too.

Dr. Sapna Parikh: And we’re hoping to check back with them by the summer to see if it did work. So, the cost of this laser treatment, it’s about $1000 and it is not covered by insurance. It’s still too new for them, for doctors to even bill for it. Unless you have some sort of flex account where you can use for whatever you want, it’s not going to be covered.

Female Newscaster: But if you need it, then you know, what choice do you have?

Dr. Sapna Parikh: Right, it’s a new option. It’s new, which is why it’s not covered by insurance.

Male Newscaster: All right, cool. Dr. Sapna Parikh, thank you very much.

Dr. Sapna Parikh: Thank you.

Dr. Stuart J. Mogul, a podiatrist in New York, using the PinPointe Footlaser. He said the maker of the device, PathoLase, told him it had received F.D.A. approval.

Laser eye surgery has enabled millions of people to throw away their eyeglasses. Now several medical technology companies are hoping that lasers aimed at the feet will allow millions to take their socks off, even in public.

The target is toenail fungus — an infection in an estimated 10 percent of American adults, or 23 million people — that causes toenails to become thick, yellow and fetid.

If these lasers, which recently completed small clinical trials, work, they will represent a new way to treat nail infection by selectively irradiating fungi while leaving the nail and surrounding tissue intact.

Right now, there is no sure cure. The fungi are so hardy that popular antifungal pills, which carry a small risk of liver damage, are completely successful less than half of the time. And a prescription lacquer, painted on the toenails daily for 48 weeks, has a complete cure rate of less than 10 percent.

Pharmaceutical giants like Schering-Plough and Novartis are developing new lacquers, pills and ointments to battle the fungi. But some podiatrists and patients are pinning their hopes on the experimental laser treatments.

Nomir Medical Technologies in Waltham, Mass., is developing a laser called Noveon for diseases like antibiotic-resistant staph infections as well as nail afflictions.

Noveon is a type of laser already commonly used by doctors for treatments like cataract surgery, dental work and even hair removal. Noveon beams two different wavelengths of near-infrared light at toenails to selectively take aim at and kill fungi.

After four treatments with Noveon, about half of the 39 toenails tested no longer had active nail infections, according to the results of a clinical trial that the company presented this month at a national dermatology meeting. Six months after the initial treatment, about 76 percent of the volunteers had clear nail growth, the study reported.

“We will be able to reach people who have heretofore stayed away from treatment because of the toxicity or the costs or other reasons,” said Richard F. Burtt, Nomir’s chief executive.

Mr. Burtt said the company was preparing to submit the data to the Food and Drug Administration, hoping to receive clearance to market Noveon by this fall. The agency has already cleared Noveon for use on the skin and in nasal passages. But the company is not taking orders for or distributing the laser for nails until it receives specific permission to do so, Mr. Burtt said.

Another company developing a laser, PathoLase, is so eager to get a piece of the billion-dollar-plus market for antifungal nail treatments that it has not waited for federal permission to begin marketing its device, the PinPointe Footlaser, for use on toenail fungus. Nearly 70 podiatrists in 21 states already offer PinPointe, according to PathoLase. The treatment, which is not covered by health insurance, costs $1,000 or more.

The F.D.A. requires manufacturers to wait for federal clearance before marketing a medical device for specific uses. But PathoLase appears to have jumped the gun in the war on spores.

Last week, a news broadcast by a Fox affiliate in Manhattan featured PinPointe as the latest thing for nail disorders. Dr. Stuart J. Mogul, a podiatrist in Manhattan who demonstrated the laser during the broadcast, said he had recently treated four patients with PinPointe at a cost of $1,200 each. He said it was too soon to tell whether the treatment had worked.

“I explain to patients that the only risk is financial,” Dr. Mogul said in an interview last week.

He added that representatives of PathoLase had told him that the F.D.A. had approved the laser as being safe.

Up until Tuesday, PinPointe’s Web site promoted the toenail laser as “F.D.A. cleared” and included an endorsement from a podiatrist in California saying he had used the device for six months on 225 patients.

Because the F.D.A. cleared the device in 2001 for use in dentistry, doctors are free to use it for other purposes, John Strisower, the chief executive of PathoLase, said in an interview on Monday.

Technically, the F.D.A. does not regulate the practice of medicine, so doctors are indeed able to use approved drugs and devices for unapproved purposes when they deem it appropriate.

But Timothy A. Ulatowski, director of compliance at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the F.D.A., said companies were legally allowed to market a medical device only for the specific use for which it had been granted clearance. Selling or promoting a device for unapproved indications is illegal, he said. He added that the company might face action from the agency, ranging from a warning letter to fines, injunctions or product seizures.

In response to a followup call and e-mail message to Mr. Strisower about the regulatory status of PinPointe, a spokeswoman replied in an e-mail message that he was unavailable for comment.

On Tuesday, PinPointe’s Web site went dark before briefly reappearing on Thursday, redesigned for European patients, and then went offline again.

Americans currently spend about $1.26 billion annually on oral and topical prescriptions for nail fungus, according to IMS Health, a health care information company. That is in addition to millions spent on unproved home remedies like tea tree oil, Vicks VapoRub, Listerine and Clorox. Industry analysts and executives estimate that more effective treatments could expand the market to as much as $3 billion annually.

In the meantime, people who have nail fungus — medically known as onychomycosis — can spread it by shedding invisible spores when they walk barefoot in locker rooms or across carpets, and even as they remove shoes and socks.

“The fungi get in under the overhanging edge of the nail and march from the edge of the nail like PacMan all the way to the cuticle,” said Dr. Boni E. Elewski, a dermatologist specializing in nail disorders.

Although for the majority of people, nail infection is primarily a cosmetic issue — one of the great unsolved American lifestyle problems, up there with balding and cellulite — it can lead to serious health problems among people with diabetes and immune disorders, said Dr. Elewski, who is also a professor of dermatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine.

Original Article: Here

The Doctors covered the new laser device, PinPointe Foot Laser, which successfully removes nail fungus with no pain.

Transcript:

Speaker: There’s a new laser treatment, PinPointe foot laser system. It’s been out since September of 2008. It’s a painless way to get rid of toenail fungus. Now, a lot of people don’t know this. We’re talking about two different things. Foot fungus like athlete’s foot, pretty easily treated with over the counter creams and sprays. But toenail fungus or onychomycosis, its other name in medicine, is really hard to treat. It can take months, or even longer with oral treatments. Has this now new potential to be treated in a painless way? And Jim, did you have this done?

Jim: I actually had it done. It was , I think it was last year. You, we were at the pool and you looked at my nails and you said “Jim, why don’t you do something about that?” and literally a few weeks later, Dr. Radovich came on the show and showed us the nail laser procedure. I though ‘Hey, can I come to your office and do it?’ He did it and…

Speaker: And let’s talk about it because we’re going to show you what’s going on during this treatment. That’s an ugly looking toe with fungus. and there it’s after the treatment. I want to show you what happens during the treatment because, you went it, had it done, pretty painless but what you do is you basically spread that laser beam over the entire surface of the nail and nail bed and then about 9 months later…

Jim: You don’t really see any results. What it does, it kills the fungus that’s underneath and in the nail bed so any new nail that grows in, it’s going to look good just like that.

Speaker: But it takes months and months.

Jim: I’m about halfway. I’d show it to you now but they’re only about halfway good so I need another couple of months to grow out.

Speaker 2: That’s a funky looking toenail.

Speaker: PinPointe, yes, there’s a cure, right?

Speaker 2: Yes but also you should take preventative measures.

Jim: Oh, yeah. That’s the other thing. You can get rid of it but it’s going to come back unless I do, like, weekly or every other week put a little cream on there. Need to spray my shoes with an anti-fungal spray just to make sure.

Speaker 2: The shoes could be bad.

Speaker: Don’t walk around the locker room in bare feet.

Speaker 2: Bath mat.

Jim: It’s so common, it likes to come back

Speaker 2: Clean your shower. Flip-flops in the locker room.

Jim: I didn’t want to do the oral medication.

Speaker: The laser is a great option.

Jim: Of course, it’s not cheap. It’s not cheap. About $1,000 or so.

Dr. Gary Evans was featured using the PinPointe FootLaser on Good Morning America (ABC News), April 9, 2009. The segment was called “Cutting Edge Nail Cure: Putting Your Best Foot Forward.”

Transcript:

Robin Roberts: Big news this morning for tens of millions of you out there right now. The days of hiding your feet because of unsightly toenail infections could be over. About half of all Americans over the age of 50 are struggling with this problem, and now thanks to a brand new high-tech treatment, their struggle could be over. When it comes to putting our best foot forward, Americans go all out.

[Excerpt from Legally Blonde] Serena: What’s the one thing that always makes us feel better, no matter what?

Roberts: We buff our toes like the ladies of Legally Blonde. Or we have a loved one paint them, like this scene from Bull Durham.

[Excerpt from Bull Durham]

Roberts: But what happens when there’s a fungus among us? Just ask Megan Rafferty.

Rafferty: It’s discolored, it’s yellow, it’s thick, it’s crooked, it just looks dead.

Roberts: Megan, like millions of Americans, has had her toe fungus for fifteen years.
It’s unsightly, embarrassing, and like others, she’s suffered in silence, not wanting to talk about it. And it’s easy to catch. It thrives in wet environments like nail salons and locker rooms, and people will do just about anything to hide it.

Rafferty: In yoga, I would be embarrassed. I’d go to the nail salon, and just like they put tips on your fingernails, I would get tips on my toenails.

Roberts: Once the fungus gets under your nail it is difficult to treat. Topical solutions are only about 8% effective, and the only other option available has been a popular pill that we all know from this commercial.

[Excerpt from Lamisil commercial] Fungus: All I want is to get in here and live under your nail.

Roberts: But it’s three months of pills, side effects need to be closely monitored with blood tests, and then 10 to 12 months for the nail to regrow.

Dr. Evans: Megan.

Megan: Hey, Dr. Evans.

Dr. Evans: How are you?

Megan: Good. Nice seeing you.

Roberts: Now there is new hope for toenail fungus, done in just one doctor visit, in 30 minutes. Straight out of a science fiction film, it’s a laser.

Dr. Evans: The laser beam travels through the nail to the level of the nail fungus, and kills the fungus instantly.

Roberts: Podiatrist Gary Evans has been using the laser for just a few months. He says it’s exciting because it’s painless and side effect free.

Rafferty: I don’t feel anything.

Dr. Evans: We have to go in certain patterns to make sure we get every little millimeter of the nail plate.

Roberts: It takes less than a half hour, moving a laser over the nail. While results are not immediate, in most cases the toenail will grow out normally in 9 to 12 months. Just look at these before and after pictures. Here’s the toe before, and then a few months after treatment, you can see the new nail growing in here. The maker of the laser says it’s 88% effective. That’s better than anything else already on the market. Still, it’s important to note that while early clinical tests have been successful, the laser is not yet cleared by the FDA for toenail fungus. Though many podiatrists have already started using the technology. But if you want fungus-free feet, you’d better be ready to pay. Right now, the treatment costs $1200 and is not covered by your insurance. Still, Megan looks forward to the day she can show off her toes and wear open-toe shoes.

Rafferty: I’m just really excited to see what the results are.

Roberts: I know she is. Joining us now is Dermatologist Dr. Jeanine Downie, because as a dermatologist you cover skin, hair and nails. How are you?

Dr. Downie: Fine, thanks.

Roberts: We see something like this, and there’s so many people affected by it. And they’ve tried gels and other things, and taking medications, and covering up, and that’s pretty dangerous to do.

Dr. Downie: Toenail fungus affects roughly 50% of people over the age of forty, which is just nuts.

Roberts: Right.

Dr. Downie: People are embarrassed, this is humiliating. They dig their feet in the sand
they don’t want to show their toes, they’re not sure what they have. They should get a culture and try to figure it out. So the topical nail lacquers, 8% cure rate. Not really great with the creams. Oral medications, you’ve got to check your blood at least three or four times, only a 50% cure rate. This pinpoint foot laser system, this could be huge with the 88% cure rate.

Roberts: What are other advantages of the laser treatment?

Dr. Downie: It’s not painful, you don’t have to do blood tests, and your liver is not at risk I’m not saying with the oral medications that your liver is always at risk. But you have to get blood tests and you have to check it. So the downside is your pocketbook with this laser.

Roberts: I know, because a lot of people in the studio, they were very excited, and then they heard the price tag.

Dr. Downie: It’s $120 per nail.

Roberts: Now, I like my feet and all that, but that’s going… But if you can afford something like that, what would you recommend?

Dr. Downie: I tell people that this is something I know that is upsetting and embarrassing and humiliating. It’s something people don’t discuss that much. So I say that this is a new technology. I was just at the AAD meeting last month. They just introduced this. Long-term studies need to be done. Studies have only been done since 2007, it was FDA cleared in 2008. And I want to make it clear that this is an off-label use right now.

Roberts: Off-label use right now. Still has some more testing to go through before…?

Dr. Downie: Before the FDA clears it for this. But as an off-label use, for example, we started using Botox in ’94, and it wasn’t FDA approved until 2003. It was still fine.

Roberts: Again, real quick, because it is sandal season coming up. What would you recommend folks do?

Dr. Downie: I tell people to get a nail culture, see if they actually have a fungus, treat it, and then keep their environment fungus-free. Clean your shower stall, be careful when you’re getting pedicures, that they’re cleaning the instruments. And make sure that if you have some little sneakers you’ve been wearing since 1919, maybe throw them away.

Roberts: You got it. Nina, as always, thank you. Thank you so much.

Dr. Downie: You’re very welcome.

Roberts: You can find more on this new treatment and other remedies on our website at abcnews.com.

Toenail Fungus Laser Treatment: MyFoxLA.com

Torrance – Do you or someone you know skip the sandals because of embarrassing nail fungus? Now, a non-toxic treatment could put an end to those worries.

Dr. Marc Mittleman says the PinPointe laser is painless and works in about 60% of patients who try it for nail fungus.

He adds that, while for most patients it’s a one-time treatment, a small percentage require a second treatment several months after the first.

The treatment costs between $600-1200 dollars, depending on how many nails need to be treated.

Treatment is generally not covered by insurance.

Your local gym, locker rooms and public pools can be a breeding ground for germs and fungi. Are we saying you must avoid all exercise facilities or skip your regular workout routine in general? No, certainly not. Staying active is important to overall health. With that said, there are some precautions experts suggest in order to significantly lessen your chances of developing the ever-dreaded infection of nail fungus.

Footwear

• Locker Room Sandals: Wear sandals while changing or showering in locker room areas. Take note, rubber sandals are often porous and can invite fungal spores to their livable environment. Be sure you discard your trusty pair of worn out gym sandals and invest in a sparkling pair of clean, fungus free flip flop style sandals if you feel they have been compromised.
• Tennis/Exercise Shoes: Depending on your gym frequency, it may be a good idea to buy two pair of workout shoes made from breathable materials and rotate between them, allowing one pair to completely dry out while you wear the other. Wearing clean socks are also a must. If you have a history of chronic toenail fungus, it is a good idea to apply anti-fungal power to your shoes to reduce perspiration.

Practice Good Hygiene

If you happen to go to the gym while you are sick, be sure to practice exceptional hygiene. The more one washes their hands and feet with soap (especially between your toes) the less likely fungus will have a chance to grow.

Dry, Dry and Dry Again

Though we have mentioned the importance of washing your hands and feet with soap, it is also very important to dry these cleansed areas thoroughly. Fungus thrives in dark, warm, and damp environments.

See a doctor at the first possible sign of nail fungus. The earlier you catch this embarrassing infection, the better.