|
Professional Information
- Important information about reports of FFN-Rx being sold on the internet, please click here.
- Fungal Free Nails, (FFN) a combination of 12 fungicidal essential oils with a patented carrier system is the only topical treatment for onychomycosis that works. It penetrates the nail plate via the intercellular lipid layers between the dead corneocytes and reaches the nail bed where the fungus resides.
- The initial response rate to FFN is over 90%. There are relatively few cases of resistant trichophyton, the causal organism.
- FFN needs to be applied twice daily. We tell patients to keep the vial at their bedside and apply it upon awakening and before going to sleep. Even though the nail may appear wet for up to 45 minutes, it has effectively penetrated in 3 minutes or less, after which it is okay to take a bath or a shower, or put on socks.
- Reasons for initial failure include:
- Non-compliance; (50% non-compliance rate in U.S. all conditions, all meds).
- Continued microtrauma to toenails (ill-fitting shoes).
- Other than fungal etiology of pathologic nails.
- A totally dystrophic nail with involvement all of the way back to the matrix. This nail plate is totally lifted off of the nail bed and FFN cannot penetrate to the nail bed because of the gap.
- Initial success, witnessed by, in the first 30 days:
- Thinning of the diseased nail.
- A distinct demarcation line between normal and diseased nail.
- Dark or black spots and/or streaks in diseased nail (killed fungal elements).
- This is best documented by a digital photograph prior to onset of treatment and another one after 30 days of treatment.
- Length of treatment is dependent on the total surface area of diseased nail and the patient’s age. The older the patient, the slower the growth of new healthy nail. FFN does not transform diseased nail into healthy nail. By killing the causative fungus, it hastens the crumbling of the diseased nail over time and allows it to be replaced by new healthy nail growth. Treatment time may vary from several months to as much as eighteen months.
- Trichophyton, like most fungi, has a life cycle that occurs in two stages: an active pathologic form (hyphae) and a spore form. The hyphae produce spores which germinate over time to produce more hyphae. The spores are impervious to all medications. They exist in both the nail plate and the nail bed. Any treatment regimen has to recognize this and react accordingly. We recommend that FFN be used twice weekly for one year after the nail looks completely clear to kill any residual germinating spores. Our recurrence rate with full compliance is essentially zero.
- We now have available an additional formulation for onychomycosis: FFN-Rx. This formulation incorporates cyclopirox, the active element of PENLAC®, and terbenifine, the active ingredient in Lamisil®, and fluconazole, a potent killer of yeast, into FFN so these three medicinals penetrate into both the nail plate and the nail bed.
- The appropriate treatment algorithm is as follows:
- Primary failure: No sign of efficacy in first 30 days, start FFN-Rx. In these cases the first vial will be supplied by us free of charge (this assumes full compliance, no microtrauma to toes, etc.).
- Secondary failure: Initial success but no further progress, i.e. probable development of resistance, patient needs FFN-Rx available from R&S Research.
- If the nail is totally dystrophic, i.e. diseased down to the matrix, it must be continually debrided, and FFN applied to the nail bed twice daily until the new nail grows out completely. There is no change in treatment regimen after nail removal. The fungus, in both active and spore form still resides in the nail bed.
We offer an unconditional 30 day guarantee on FFN which we actually honor for 40 days. We include the criteria for initial success on each patient insert that accompanies each sold vial of FFN. If, for whatever reason, you choose to honor the guarantee, we will be happy to send you the amount of the guarantee in product at wholesale cost or twice the equivalent thereof in product.
If you are a medical professional who would like to receive more technical/professional information, please contact Dr. Bert Rosenthal at bert@FungalFreeNails.com.
The results in your patients will speak for themselves. With a 30 day guarantee
of efficacy, your patients are 100% not at risk.
|
Español