Laser Devices Offer New Treatment Options for Toenail Fungus

Studies have shown that nearly 35 million people in the United States and 700 million across the planet endure the pain and embarrassment of toenail fungus (onychomycosis). Historically, there were limited options for treating fungal nail infections. Topical treatments fail to cure toenail fungus in a majority of cases. Oral antifungal drugs are more effective, particularly the newer drugs such as terbinafine and itraconazole, but present health complications in some patients. In light of the problems of conventional remedies, companies are seeking to develop new ways to treat onychomycosis through technology. Now, sufferers of toenail fungus have a new option to treat the age-old problem -laser treatment.

Though using lasers for treating toenail fungal infections is very new, and still undergoing FDA trials, laser treatments offer a promising cure for the dreaded condition.

Currently, no laser devices have received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specifically for use in treating nail fungus. There are two laser devices that are being touted for their ability to cure these fungal infections. One laser device has been approved for dermatology and plastic surgery while the other is in what its maker hopes is the final stages of FDA approval. The two competing systems are:

ThePinpointe FootLaserhas received FDA-clearance for use in dermatology and plastic surgery. Since the laser has not been approved by the FDA specifically for the treatment of nail fungus, using the laser to treat nail fungus is an "off-label" use. What that means is that doctors and podiatrists may use the laser to treat toenail fungus, but the manufacturer of the laser, Pinpointe USA, Inc., cannot market or promote the device to perform that function in the U.S. Pinpointe is seeking FDA approval to market the device to treat onychomycosis and has submitted studies to the FDA to support that use.

Another laser device, the Noveonlaser manufactured by Nomir Medical Technologies has received clearance from FDA for use during contact and non-contact surgical procedures of the skin, subcutaneous tissues and nasal passages in dermatology, plastic surgery, podiatry, and otolaryngology. However, like the Pinpointe laser, the Noveon laser has not been specifically approved for use in combating nail fungus.

How Do Lasers Cure Toenail Fungus?

The two laser devices both work by shining specific wavelengths of near infrared light through the nail plate of the toe or finger. The light from the laser eradicates the fungus, yeast or mold that are under the nail plate and which are causing the infection. The laser light has no effect on the surrounding healthy tissue. There is no pain but some patients experience temporary warmth in the nail during treatment.

Are Laser Treatments Effective?

PinPointe reported that in a clinical trial, 88% of the treated patients grew out a normal looking nail after a single laser treatment. Nomir has stated publicly that in one study its Noveon laser therapy treatments resulted in 87% clinical improvement. Both of those results are significantly higher than were found in clinical studies of terbinafine, the most effective pharmaceutical drug for onychomycosis.

The results reported by the laser device manufacturers appear quite promising, these results are based on very small study sizes and the manufacturers' studies may not meet the rigorous standards of the studies conducted on the pharmaceutical drugs. In addition, since the use of the laser devices in treating nail fungus is a very new technology, there is no data on the long term effectiveness of the treatment or the reoccurrence of the nail fungus following the completion of the laser treatment.

In conclusion, the initial reports seem to point to laser therapy as the most effective available treatment of onychomycosis, but much more data needs to be acquired before it can be established that the laser devices offer a viable alternative to the current remedies for toenail fungus.

Marshall DeSoto is a freelance writer. He has written on laser treatments for toenail fungus, home remedies for toenail fungus and similar topics of interest to people who suffer from this ugly and painful condition.

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Home Laser Hair Removal Devices (Silk'n and Tria) Versus Professional Laser Hair Removal Treatments

In the United States, the removal of hair permanently using a laser is the fastest growing non-surgical aesthetic laser cosmetic procedure. The number of performed laser hair removal sessions is projected to grow 18 percent per year. This means there will be an estimated 6,000,000 laser hair removal procedures performed in 2010!

Traditionally, removing hair for beauty reasons is most popular among women-virtually all women over 12 years old engage in the practice in some way, shape or form. Laser hair removal for men, however, is rapidly growing in popularity. More and more men seek lasting hair removal solutions - on the neck, to address issues of ingrown hairs, and on the chest, back and shoulders, mostly, for cosmetic purposes.

With the size of the consumer market for permanent hair removal treatments growing at such a fast rate, recently, we've seen new technologies coming out to help shoulder the load of the consumer market. In this article, I'll discuss two handheld devices, and provide points comparison with respect to professional medical lasers. But, first, let's discuss how laser hair removal works.

Laser hair removal works using laser energy, targeting the melanin in your hair, to cause damage to your hair follicles. Once damaged, the hair follicles will no longer produce new hairs. After a series of treatments the follicle basically dies and can't grow hair.

Formerly, the ideal candidates for laser hair removal have light skin and thick dark hair. However, laser technology has evolved and now, darker skinned and tan people can also see amazing results (using an Nd:YAG laser).

A series of treatments are needed for an effective treatment because the laser is only effective when it hits the follicle in its growth phase. During the growth phase of the hair growth cycle, the follicle has the most melanin, which is necessary for the laser light to target. Since each hair can be in a different growth phase at any given time, several treatments are necessary to make sure you the treatment hits all of the hairs in the right growth phase.

Let's move on to the cost of laser hair removal treatments.

The price of a laser hair removal treatment depends on many factors including the region in which the laser center is located, and the size of the area being treated.

If you live in New York, and have your appointments at Assara Laser you can do an Unlimited Full Body Laser Hair Removal for $449 per month. That means you can laser every body part you want for $449 per month - from your sideburns, to upper lip, arms, back, bikini, bum, legs. An average client is treated once every 4-5 weeks, for six sessions, so under this program the cost of six sessions for full body treatments is approximately $2,700, paid over 6 installments of $449.

How does laser hair removal feel?

People always want to know how much pain is involved in laser hair removal. There is some pain involved. The laser zap feels like a snap on your skin, but a handheld cooled air jet attached to the laser helps to cool your skin and diminish the discomfort.

The discomfort comes from the light energy from the laser being converted into heat energy when the laser light is absorbed by the melanin in your hair follicle. An experienced laser practitioner must therefore keep the energy level of the laser high enough to create enough heat to damage and disable the hair follicle, but low enough so that there is no harm done to the surrounding skin.

Now that we're armed with these tidbits of knowledge. Let's take compare at home laser hair removal systems with medical laser systems used in laser centers and Medispas.

In terms of price, at the date of this article, the Tria's pricepoint is $595. That's a little bit more than the cost of a full body session under the Unlimited Program, I earlier mentioned.

Light-Source/Wavelength - Tria uses a diode laser and Silk'n uses an intense pulse light - IPL - flash lamp to work. For light skin, the Alexandrite (or Alex) laser is generally thought of has the most effective wavelength for laser hair removal purposes. IPLs are generally considered an antiquated system as compared with lasers. They are commonly thought of as less effective and more likely to cause injury because the light emitted from the flash lamp is not focused, so it is more likely to disperse into the client's skin before reaching the melanin rich blub of the hair follicle.

The biggest drawback from the laser hair removal home devices with respect to light source is that neither the Tria's diode laser, nor the Silk'n's IPL system, is appropriate for tan or dark skin; most practitioners would recommend use of the Nd:YAG laser for skin with pigment.

Fluence/Energy Level -- The fluence (or energy level) is another important factor in laser strength and effectiveness for permanent hair reduction. Fluence is measured in joules per square centimeter (J/cm²). The Tria has an adjustable fluence level of between 7 and 20 joules. The Silk'n has a fluence level of 5 joules. As earlier discussed, the energy level must be sufficient to cause permanent damage to the hair follicle so that is forever disabled from growing hair.

True medical lasers used for laser hair removal, such as the Cynosure Apogee Elite (Alexandrite, and Nd:YAG) have maximum fluence levels selectable by the laser practitioner of between 50 and 80 joules. An experienced laser practitioner will normally select an energy level of between 25 and 60 joules for an effective treatment. The practitioner must be careful to not provide too little energy, which impairs the effectiveness of the treatment, and also must be careful not to provide too much energy, which can damage surrounding skin.

So there you have it. The handheld devices are slightly cheaper than a single full-body professional laser hair removal treatment. They are not appropriate for tan or dark skin, and their energy levels are much lower than what is commonly used by medical professionals. As these products are still new, only time will tell how effective they are.

Please visit the following link for more information on NYC laser hair removal [http://www.assaralaserhairremoval.com/assarablog/tag/laser-hair-removal-nyc/].

See also, this link for more information on the Full Body Laser Hair Removal Unlimited Program.

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Low-Level Laser Devices For Anti-Aging and Beautiful Skin

In the world of cosmetic lasers, technology has finally caught up with people's expectations. Laser therapy is one of the fastest expanding and most exciting fields in the cosmetic arena. In the past, those seeking to turn back the hands of time had to turn to Botox / Restylane injections, harmful chemicals or expensive medical procedures. But today, more and more are turning to the rejuvenating power of light therapy.

To understand how lasers work, we first have to understand what a laser is. "Laser" is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The idea of a laser can be traced back to Albert Einstein's theoretical work in the beginning of the 20th century. He predicted that it would be possible to stimulate electrons to emit light of a specific wavelength. Laser light is therefore light, but a very specific type of light.

For us, the most natural form of healing light is the sun. The beneficial light energy from the sun is a primary source of cellular energy for most life forms on earth. Sunlight is non-coherent light that encompasses light ranging from the ultraviolet range to the infrared range and everything in between (visible light range). The light energy emitted by laser devices is coherent monochrome light oscillating in harmony that falls into specific wavelengths already found in the spectrum of sunlight, but does not include skin-damaging ultraviolet A and B wavelengths. The different laser wavelengths dictate the depth of penetration through specific substances (such as human tissue). This form of light provides better penetration of the top layers of the skin and can stimulate the low layers of the skin where problems normally form. With cosmetic lasers the light energy is absorbed into the skin where the cells use it to product ATP or cellular energy. The light also helps stimulate collagen, blood flow and other healing regenerative mechanisms.

Low-level laser therapy has come a long way since Einstein's theories, and devices that emit low-level laser light in a therapeutic fashion have left the hospital and doctor's office and hit the shelves of stores. Skepticism still remains however, on the effectiveness and safety of such laser devices for cosmetic use. Let's examine some basic essentials about low-level lasers and debunk some misconceptions.

Low-Level Lasers are Safe

Low-level lasers have been used as a therapeutic modality in the international medical field for over 30 years. In the 30+ years of low-level laser usage, no side effects or contraindications are known or have ever been reported.

Unlike high powered surgical lasers, low-level lasers are safe and painless. Most devices can be used on all skin types and cause no heat or sensation. Although the technology is the same, the safety standards and compliances that devices must adhere to make personal lasers less powerful and much gentler than lasers found in spas and skin care centers.

Naturally Stimulate the Skin

The true key to the benefits of laser light is found in its effects in the cell. And being that the human body is made up of approximately FIVE TRILLION cells, it is easy to understand how poor performance on a cellular level can affect the body. Laser light has been shown to affect the body on a biological and cellular level through more effective and faster cell renewal, absorption of vital nutrients, increased collagen production, stimulation of the mitochondria (cellular healing) and ATP (energy) production. In layman terms, low-level lasers feed cells energy and allow them to regenerate in a healthy fashion.

Effectiveness of Low-Level Lasers

Studies now confirm these biological and cellular processes. A recent study at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China shows that "laser treatments led to marked improvements in dermal layer thickness and collagen fiber density". Collagen is a key to anti-aging treatments. Collagen is a protein structure that is responsible for skin strength and elasticity, and its degradation leads to wrinkles that accompany aging.

Another study at the Laser and Skin Surgery Center of New York came to the conclusion that "nonablative (low-level laser) procedures are effective in the treatment of photoaging and acne scarring. As technology in nonablative therapies continues to evolve, future laser and light sources may yield even more favorable results."

What to Expect

Doctors, professionals and users all agree that laser light can be beneficial for cosmetic use, but what kind of results can you expect?

First off, being that personal low-level lasers have to adhere to power restrictions to make them safe for home use, you can't expect the same results as with professional treatments. A number of spas now sell personal low-level laser devices as a compliment to spa treatments like photofacials, Thermage and other laser services.

You also have to take into account that for improvements to occur, daily use is required (5-15 minutes, 2 times daily). The effects of such personal lasers are accumulative, meaning that the more often and consistent you are with treatments, the better the results. As one satisfied user of a personal cosmetic laser commented, "The improvement around my eyes was the first thing I noticed. I also have scar tissue that has vanished. I am extremely happy with my laser. Of course, if you don't want to find the time to use it twice daily, the results won't be as great. I am 61 years young and my skin looks great. "

As more people look to defy the aging process and begin to stray away from costly and potentially harmful methods, personal low-level lasers will continue to grow in popularity. Efficacy and safety of these lasers have been confirmed, but it's still no magic pill. In the end, one has to expect realistic improvements with such devices and realize that aging is a part of life that there will never be a cure for. But at least now with emerging Low Level Laser technologies you can really age gracefully and with style.

Starlite is a personal use cosmetic laser recently released into the US market. Developed by highly proficient engineers (experienced with NASA and Medical Data Laboratory) and manufactured from only the highest quality components from Japan, US and Taiwan, this new home laser is the pinnacle of skin care devises. Starlite is currently the only product available to combine medical grade laser technology, a pulsed infrared LED as well as an optical lense for maximum efficacy. The specialized light produced by Starlite is absorbed deep into the skin to aid in the production of collagen and ATP (energy). This makes the small handheld unit excellent for wrinkles, fine lines and blemishes.

For more information on the Starlite visit:

http://www.starliteskinlaser.com or

http://innovativemedicine.com/products/lasers/mainlaserpage.php

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