Onychomycosis, commonly called toenail fungus, is a common skin disease that affects many people, especially those living in urban areas. In cities like London, people frequent public places like gyms, swimming pools, and showers, which are excellent breeding grounds for the fungus that causes this disease. If you are suffering from this infection, immediately seek an appointment with an experienced skin specialist to find the best toenail fungus treatment in London. Read on to know some key considerations.
Things to Take into Account for Toenail Fungus Treatment
Identifying the Disease
You must identify this disease quickly for faster treatment and relief. This skin problem starts as an innocuous white or yellow spot on the tip of your nail. As the condition worsens due to the increasing severity of the infection, the infected nail will thicken, get discoloured, and even start crumbling on the edges. This can cause significant discomfort, as wearing shoes can become quite painful.
This highly contagious skin infection can quickly spread in communal areas where people share spaces.
Most Widely Available Toenail Fungus Treatment Options
Depending on the severity of the infection, skin specialists may prescribe different treatments.
Topical Creams: When the infection is mild and confined to the tip of the nail, the specialist may prescribe antifungal creams like Clotriamzole, Penlac, Terbinafine, Curnail, and Tea Tree. Applying these creams topically helps limit the infection's spread and kills the fungus causing this skin issue by breaking down their cell walls.
Oral Medicines: When skin specialists find it challenging to treat the infection with antifungal topical creams alone, they may prescribe oral antifungal medicines along with skin creams. Some of these medicines, like Ketoconazole, Fluconazole, Itraconazole, Terbinafine, and griseofulvi, treat the infection by breaking the cell walls of the disease-causing fungus.
Laser Treatment: If the skin infection persists even after treatment with antifungal cream and oral medicines, specialists may prescribe laser treatment. Some types of lasers used in toenail fungus treatment in London include Pinpointe, Podlase, Cutera, ARC laser = (Nd Yag laser), Lunula Laser, and PodiLase (Dual-Wave lasers). In this treatment, a laser heats the infected area, breaking down the fungus cell walls to destroy them.
Nail Surgery: When the antifungal medicines fail to treat the infection and the laser treatment does not give the desired results, nail surgery is the last resort to cure Onychomycosis. In this method, the surgeon first numbs the affected area and then removes the infected nail from its base.
In many cases, the nail typically grows back. In the rare case that the newly grown nail also shows signs of infection, a different course of action is followed. A specialist completely removes the nail from the root and applies a medically approved acid to ensure the infected nail does not grow back.
At Foot Clinic London, our team is renowned for offering specialised toenail fungus treatment in London at some of the most competitive rates. Get in touch with us to know more.
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