Toenail Fungus And UV Light

As a treatment for toenail fungus uv light is seldom, if ever used. However, it can be useful as a means of ridding the environment of infectious fungal spores. Laboratories that work with fungal isolates use ultraviolet light to sterilize equipment, and it has been at least suggested that ultraviolet light might prevent fungal spores and other organism from being dispersed through air conditioning and ventilation systems. At home, simply exposing shoes and socks to normal daylight, which includes ultraviolet wavelengths, may help kill off lingering fungal elements from fungal nail infections.

Ultraviolet light is harmful or lethal to many forms of life. It is routinely used to disinfect contaminated surfaces and water supplies. On the other hand, exposure to ultraviolet rays causes blindness, and almost everyone is aware that increased exposure to ultraviolet in sunlight is causing an increase in skin cancers. It is not a benign light, therefore any toenail fungus uv treatment should be approached with extreme caution, and under the supervision of a professional. Tanning beds are a relatively safe way to expose skin and nails to ultraviolet light, but even these come with associated risks and many people do not think they are a safe approach to tanning or skin treatment.

Perhaps the reason some people believe that toenail fungus uv treatment is an option is that patients who suffer from psoriasis are often treated with ultraviolet radiation. This can be very beneficial in clearing up the uncomfortable skin lesions these individuals suffer experience. Because psoriasis patients often have deformed nails that resemble nails that are infected with fungus, there may be some confusion: dermatitis caused by psoriasis affects the root of the nail and makes the nail grow out abnormally: settling down the dermatitis can result in new nail growing in with a normal appearance. Clearly, this is not a toenail fungus uv cure.

One of the drawbacks in ultraviolet light, with respect to sterilization techniques at least, is its inability to penetrate surfaces. Glass and plastic that don’t allow ultraviolet wavelengths to pass through are readily created. It may very well be that ultraviolet rays would not penetrate an infected nail sufficiently to affect the fungus growing underneath – a weakness of many nail fungus treatments. The bottom line is that toenail fungus uv treatment is not a good treatment choice. A natural remedy or prescription drug will probably work better and carry less risk.

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  1. Non-Scientific deductions. UV is safe, even necessary for health. Concentrated treatment with UV LEDs should both penetrate/work and be safe. After all, it isn't like treatment would be for longer than a week or so at most. The risk is so slight, it is much smaller than the risks of serious systemic fungal infection if left untreated. IMHO…

  2. LED UV lights in the correct wave length are successufl in treating toe fungal – more safe than systemic drugs the "Pharm/Med" profession prefer to deliver.

    I find much of the content on this site to be misleading and damaging to those who know that there are safe and effectvie solutions outside of the traditional American "Pharm/Med" industries.

    1. Umm, that study is for ultraviolet C (high energy, short wavelength UV), which you’re not going to get from the sun or from tanning beds. Most of the UV from the sun and tanning beds is UV-A, along with a lesser amount of UV-B.

  3. The author did not cite any sources, only made assumptions based upon his/her limited and loosely related observations.

  4. Consumer product being advertised on the radio, implying it is available for purchase:

    Ultraviolet light-emitting device as a helpful cure for toenail fungus. An interest in reading more and locating possible outlets, where the product can be purchased.

  5. I suffered for YEARS with toe nail fungus. No treatment worked. I researched and started using the nail drying unit used to dry nails in nail salons that uses uv light. Got it on Amazon. I put my toes under the light for 15 minutes twice a week, and guess what? The nail fungus is almost completely gone. It takes a long time to grow big toe nails back, but my nails are almost fully grown in and they’re healthy nails, no sign of fungus. I’m not using anything else either, just the light. Pharmaceuticals for fungus are EXTREMELY dangerous to the body, especially the liver, and I won’t touch them.

    1. @Lori could you please tell us the exact brand and model of the nail drying unit?

      I want to look up which UV wavelength range it uses.

    2. Lori, can you tell me what light you are using? Is it the LED type? Any other info would be so very helpful and appreciated!

    3. I too have nail fungus, and thought I had an original idea in using uv to treat it. Glad to know my invention worked for you! Once again I’ve come up with an idea…that already existed. Which uv system did you use? I just discovered those drying lights, and that is much easier than inventing my own system. Thanks for the info you’ve given so far, looking forward to your answer…

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