If you’ve been living with a fungal toenail infection, you may be welcoming the arrival of fall. After all, with cooler temperatures you can finally spend all your days in closed-toed shoes, not worrying about the appearance of your thick, yellow nail. But guess what—if you don’t want to spend next spring and summer hiding that nail when you hit the park, beach or pool, now’s the time to start fungal toenail treatment.
Why is that the case? It takes time to completely resolve the underlying infection that causes fungal growth in your nails. Depending on how long you’ve had that infection, it could take weeks or months before you see the return of that healthy. That’s why is the time to see Dr. Mark Gasparini and Dr. Novneet Chabbra, your Massapequa podiatrists, to begin treating your fungal toenail. And it’s why, in this post, we’re sharing everything you need to know about diagnosing and treating fungal toenails.
Fungal Toenail Symptoms ![bare feet on a rocky beach]()
It’s important to recognize the symptoms of toenail fungus as soon as they appear, because if you intervene early in the process, you should be able to completely reverse any noticeable changes to your nail’s appearance.
Common symptoms of toenail fungus include:
- Color change: your nail may appear to be white, yellow, brown or even black
- Textural changes: The nail may get thick, or it could become brittle and start to crumble.
- Nail separation: The nail could move away from the nail bed, and this could result in bleeding and pain.
- Bad odor: your nail could emit a foul smell.
- Deformities: your nail shape could change or become deformed
If you notice any of these symptoms, make an immediate appointment in the office. We can begin treatment right away. And that’s important, because resolving a fungal toenail infection is a lengthy process.
How Long Does Toenail Fungus Take to Go Away?
Unfortunately, fungal toenails can be very difficult to resolve, and that’s because the source of the infection remains hidden beneath your toenail. In our Massapequa podiatry practice, we typically treat a fungal toenail with a combination of Lamisil—an oral prescription medication—and with topical medications applied directly to your nail.
Even with this combination, it can take between 9 and 18 months before you see a completely new and healthy nail in place of the one displaying signs of infection. Luckily, the active infection should be cleared within about 12 weeks of beginning oral medications. (If you are not a candidate for oral medications, topical medications can still be effective, but it could take a year or more just to resolve your infection.)
Why is the process so slow? First of all, your toenails aren’t exactly speedy growers—they lengthen by mere millimeters each month. So, even when your infection is cured, you’ll have to wait a while for the impacted nail sections to grow out and restore the completely healthy appearance of that nail. Moreover, the infection itself is difficult to eliminate completely because it can hide beneath your nail’s biofilm, making it more difficult for medications to target the invading particles.
Speeding up Fungal Toenails Treatment Time
If you are not a candidate for oral medications, or if you’re planning a beach getaway for winter break and want to see faster results, you can also explore laser treatment for fungal nails. Now, not everyone will be eligible for laser therapy: it doesn’t work well if your fungal toenail has become very thick, or if your infection has penetrated the root of your nail. Still, for patients who are eligible for laser therapy, your infection should be resolved after two to four treatment sessions, each spaced apart by several weeks. You will still have to wait for your new, healthy nail to grow in. But the underlying infection should be resolved much earlier in the treatment process.
When to See Your Podiatrist
We don’t want you to waste another minute hiding your unsightly fungal toenails with socks and shoes—that’s why now is the moment to contact our office and request a consultation.
When we see you in the office, we can confirm your fungal toenail diagnosis and determine the safest and most effective treatment plan for your needs. While it will take some time to restore the completely healthy appearance of your affected nail, by starting the process today, we should have you ready to rock your favorite sandals in time for the next beach season. All you have to do is call us at 516-804-9038 and tell us you need help resolving fungal toenails!