Fungal Nail Treatment In Leeds

The ClearChoice treatment for nail fungus is, in most instances, a series of treatment sessions, with minimal discomfort and no side effects. The lasers target the fungus located deep beneath the nail plate, eradicating the source of the infection with no harmful effects on healthy tissue.

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What is fungal nail?

Fungal nail infections are very common and can be incredibly difficult to treat. Over-the-counter remedies such as creams, lacquers or powders may not be enough to clear the infection, and oral medication isn’t always suitable. Laser treatment is a non-invasive option that is quick and effective, comfortable, and with no downtime.
At The Leeds Clinic we use the Alma Harmony XL Pro ClearChoice™ laser, an advanced medical laser system designed to target both active fungus and the associated spores.

What causes fungal nail infections?

A fungal nail infection occurs when microscopic fungi grow beneath the nail plate. There are many causes / ways you can catch a fungal nail infection, the most common being walking barefoot in communal areas such as the gym or swimming pool. Other ways of catching the infection include cross-contamination (e.g. from sharing socks, footwear or tools at a nail salon, or being in close contact with another person who has active infection) or from another fungal infection you already have such as athlete’s foot.
An active fungal infection can make your nails brittle / crumbly, distorted, discoloured, thickened, or lifted from the nail bed. Without treatment, this can get progressively worse or spread to other nails.

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How does laser treatment work?

ClearChoice™ uses two proven laser technologies: Q-Switched Nd:YAG and Long Pulsed Nd:YAG.
The lasers do not actually treat the surface of the nail, but rather the laser energies pass safely through the nail plate to target the infection and spores that live underneath. The fungus can be killed within only a few treatments, but as nails take a while to grow out it can take up to around 12 – 18 months for a visible cosmetic improvement to be seen.
During this time we recommend continuing to follow a strict homecare regime alongside regular laser treatments in order to ensure the infection does not return. Re-infection can occur if:
 
– the original source of infection is not removed / changed (e.g. attending communal areas barefoot, cross-contamination etc)
 
– any spores remain from the initial infection and are not sufficiently destroyed
 
It is for this reason that we also treat all 10 nails every session, to minimise the risk of re-infection from any spores on neighbouring toes.

What is involved in each laser session?

ClearChoice™ is a 2-step process:

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Step One: Q-Switched Nd:YAG

The first laser emits powerful, ultra-short pulses of energy. This does not produce heat, but instead uses an acoustic action that creates tiny shock waves to ‘break apart’ fungal spores – this also primes the nail for Step Two. This laser also helps to break up any discolouration on the nail plate, although the effect of this won’t be seen immediately. Most people describe Step One as a light tingling or vibrating sensation.

Step Two: Long Pulsed Nd:YAG

The second laser uses thermal energy (heat) to destroy the living fungi and spores in the nail bed. Fungi are very sensitive to heat. By gently raising the temperature in the infected nail, the laser damages the fungus cells while protecting the surrounding healthy tissue. During Step Two you'll notice a gradual warming sensation. If it becomes too warm, we can pause the treatment for a few seconds or apply a cold compress to your nail before continuing.

How many treatments will I need?

This of course varies from person to person depending on the severity of infection. Generally speaking, it can take as few as around 3 or 4 treatments to kill the active infection, but if any spores remain this can unfortunately re-activate the fungus. For this reason we strongly recommend continuing with treatments until ALL sign of infection is cleared. This includes any discolouration, flakiness, thickening of the nail plate etc. It can take approximately 12 – 18 months for a new, healthy nail to grow out once the active infection is cleared. We recommend a minimum course of 6 treatments spaced every 4 weeks initially, then review as to how many more sessions you may need after this.

Homecare is also vitally important during a course of laser treatment to ensure maximum effectiveness. You want to do everything you can to try attack the infection from all angles and reduce the chance of it coming back. This includes any home remedies you have such as:
 
– Athlete’s foot powders / creams.
– Anti-fungal polishes.
– Vicks VapoRub (anecdotally – not officially licensed or FDA approved treatment but has shown good results for some strains of fungi in some studies).
– Tea tree oil mixed into a carrier oil such as cuticle oil (again, only anecdotal evidence it works but it does have anti-fungal properties).
– Wash socks on high temperature wash and change frequently.
– Avoid synthetic materials and allow your feet to “breathe”.
– As much as possible, expose toes to air and keep dry. Don’t keep feet cooped up in sweaty socks all day as this is the ideal environment for fungus to thrive (dark & damp).
– Keep nails trimmed short and do not share clippers, towels etc with others.
– Be aware of places where you may have picked up the infection e.g. the gym, sauna, swimming pool etc and do not walk around barefoot in communal areas.

How much does ClearChoice™ laser treatment cost?

We treat all 10 nails per treatment.
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  • Individual treatment £110
  • Course of 6 £595.00

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