Treatments with antifungals may not be successful due to several factors, including the long time required to apply topical medications, the side effects of systemic drugs, and the application of insufficient medication to the target area. Even with adequate systemic or topical therapy, the persistence of fungal infections is not uncommon. In light of these limitations, laser therapy has been proposed as an alternative option for onychomycosis therapy.
Onychomycosis is the most common nail disease, representing more than 50% of all onychopathies. Future studies on the absorption spectra of dermatophyte fungi will be needed to develop lasers that effectively exploit absorption differences in fungi and dermal tissue.