LED & Laser Fungal Nail Treatment

We’ll be honest: fungal nail infections have always been tricky to treat – both for patients and podiatrists – for many reasons. First, we’re working with a living micro-organism (a fungus) that spreads through spores that are invisible to the human eye. These spores could spread through households, quickly passing between family members.

Next, most treatments require you to apply nail paint or lacquer daily, sometimes several times per day, which just doesn’t work for many people – it’s easy to forget, it’s easy to miss areas of the nail, and many find it difficult to reach their feet in the first place. Finally, the available treatment options have always had a risk of side effects that made them unsuitable (specifically the oral medications). If you look at the research, they have delivered relatively poor results in studies, while limiting who could use the treatment due to the risk of side effects. 

Fungal nail treatments have been extensively studied, with nail creams and lacquers showing very poor success rates across many studies, between only 5% and 12%. While oral medications have shown higher success rates, they are unsuitable for many people due to drug interactions and their medical conditions. This is why, of the three treatments, we highly recommend PACT.

There are no known notable side effects of PACT, making it a great alternative to oral medications. Repeated exposure to the light does not produce any adverse effects, and no pain is felt throughout each treatment. Following each PACT session, your nail may retain a blue discolouration from the gel, however this will fade in the days following treatment.

Please bring a clean pair of socks and remove any nail polish before your appointment.

We can guarantee that, based on our average results in our clinic, there is a very good chance that your nails will grow out healthy and clear by following our instructions, attending all appointments, and taking the steps we’ve outlined to minimise the risk of reinfection in your home.

Like any medical treatment in New Zealand, we cannot completely guarantee your results due to many factors being outside of our control. For example, you may get re-infected from your fungal spores that are still present in your home environment. If we see any signs of reinfection at one of your review appointments, we will discuss your options and may recommend an extra PACT session.

Unlike plantar warts caused by a virus that stays in the body and so can spontaneously reappear in the future, fungal nail infections do not come back unless you contract a new fungal nail infection. During your treatment, your podiatrist will help teach you ways to help protect your feet and minimise your risk of contracting another fungal infection.

Not at all. PACT is a painless, safe, and effective treatment. This is one way this treatment stands out from other advanced anti-fungal treatments like hot laser, which must be performed manually and carries a risk of burns that can lead to dangerous complications.

The British Association of Dermatologists Guidelines for managing fungal nail infections states: “Because both onychomycosis (nail fungus) and tinea pedis are contagious, all infected family members must also be treated at the same time to avoid reinfection.”

Fungal nail infections can spread between members of the same household because they share surfaces like showers and floors—and sometimes shoes and socks. If your partner has a fungal nail infection, we recommend having them treated at the same time to improve your chance of treatment success by reducing the risk of reinfection.