Staff 
September 7, 2012Fungal infections of the toenails are unsightly and embarrassing. They cause the nail to lose its normal luster and become discolored. The treatment of these infections is difficult for a number of reasons. One reason is that it has to be treated as the nail grows out and is replaced with the new un-infected nail. This process can take 6 to 12 or more months. The environment inside a shoe is not exactly the most healthy place to put a foot and the infection can easily happen again. Most of the treatments for this involve using a topical medication or an oral medication and they need to be used for the entire 6 to 12 months. Recently the use of a laser is being explored (more) to destroy the fungal elements and then wait for the nail to grow out. This is looking promising, but more research is needed.