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What do you see in practice?
Hmm, you see change, but is this also improvement? A common question from practices and clients working with FungiSmart. Many nail fungus products focus on inhibiting or, in the case of (mostly) pharmacological agents, killing the fungus with chemical or antimicrobial
substances. FungiSmart takes a different approach. The product works with Pythium oligandrum, an organism that targets the ‘breaking down infected keratin and fungal structures.’
‘As a result, the course may look visually different from what is expected.’
You might wonder why a nail sometimes looks “worse” at first and why that can actually be good news. It doesn't always sound logical in your head, so we'll take you through the stages of this process.
Within the practice, we see an interesting pattern reflected in questions from clients starting with FungiSmart. The question comes in different forms, but the core is often the same: the nail gets darker or crumbles more. Is the fungus actually getting worse?
The short answer: usually not. Indeed, in many cases, we see exactly the turnaround expected
becomes when the treatment works. And that requires something that is perhaps most important in fungal treatment... knowledge, understanding and good expectation management, for yourself and for the client.
Did you know that the reaction to the application of FungiSmart depends on the opponent FungiSmart is fighting? Yes indeed, an immediate colour improvement is seen with a non-aggressive fungus and an actually darker colour or more degraded layers In the case of an aggressive fungus as an opponent. More on this later in this article!
Nuance and understanding
UNDERSTANDING BY BOTH PRACTITIONER AND CLIENT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
When you understand what the recovery process really looks like, the whole experience of treatment changes. Where at first uncertainty or doubt arises (things seem to be getting worse), recognition can then emerge: this is part of the process.
FungiSmart targets the cause: the fungus itself. But the nail then needs time to repair itself. And that is exactly where the key to success lies: realistic expectations, correct, good guidance and patience. Where clients often hope for a quick cosmetic improvement,
practitioners sometimes see just the opposite at first:
- the nail darkens
- the nail becomes brittle
- dark spots sometimes appear
- old layers come off faster
Such a change can be startling for a while, as we are not used to it. But biologically, it is a logical stage in the recovery process. In fact, change is often a positive sign. What if you were in
rather than focusing on ‘I don't actually see any improvement yet’, instead focusing on ‘there is change’, and that means there is movement. The way of thinking and knowledge can make a big difference in
your confidence in the process. Many practitioners recognise the moment when they start to (re)think: ‘Yes! Things are happening sth.‘!
Is colour a reliable indicator?
No. In fact, nail recovery always follows the well-known biology of nail growth. And that biology has one fixed rule: nails grow slowly. Besides, the natural process of nail repair is also a complex and slow one. The colour of a nail is not a reliable indicator of the presence of fungus. A nail can:
- appear visually (little) unchanged while the infection is already stabilising
- are still discoloured dark or yellow while the fungus has already disappeared
- look worse while actually shedding the infected material
For years, treatments have been judged mainly on cosmetic improvement, but in a treatment
such as FungiSmart that biodegrades the fungus and clears infected keratin, the process may look temporarily different. Take a look below at the stages the nail goes through during such a biodegradation process.
- The nail thickens less
- Infected layers release faster
- The nail becomes drier and friable
- Discolouration shifts or changes
These are all signs that the nail tissue is starting to move. And stagnation is often more problematic than no change at all.
What does change mean?
It is important for clients to understand that nail fungus is still not a quick fix. Important points to pass along:
- Discolouration of the nail is not harmful
- The dark colour will grow out or flake off
- Getting time to form healthy tissue
Why expectation management is important
When clients only look at colour change, uncertainty quickly arises. But when both practitioner and client understand that change in the nail can be part of the process and discolouration does not always mean the fungus is active and the nail needs recovery time, the whole perception of treatment changes. What first feels like deterioration is then seen as a step towards recovery.
Why do nails sometimes turn darker? So not always...
With deeper or more aggressive forms of fungal infections, we regularly see that the nail temporarily darkens after starting FungiSmart. This can have several causes: detachment and drying out of infected keratin, oxidation of decomposing fungal residues, rejection of affected nail layers or fragmentation of old infected tissue. In other words, the process first clears the damaged material before visible repair can occur. What sometimes feels like “deterioration” to the client is in reality often
the beginning of stabilisation.
Difference between aggressive and non-aggressive
We know a difference in the fungal kingdom between aggressive and less aggressive fungi. Oh yes, the more aggressive fungi have the ability to form biofilms, for example, which
makes them more resistant to mycoparasitism. There are also several fungi that have thick-walled macroconidia.
And now the whole story is also that there are thus fungi that can form both and are thus very aggressive, like the Trichophyton Rubrum; a common fungus that causes nail fungus. Complex, then...
Key insight for practice
OK, we now know that not every improvement starts with a nicer nail. When practitioners recognise this and explain it well to their clients, something important emerges: realistic expectations and greater confidence in the treatment process. And that ultimately makes the difference between doubts about treatment and a successful, therapy-free treatment.
