With the revolutionary Lunula laser, Dr. Danielle Shaper, of Finesse Footcare, is eliminating nail fungus without the pain or side effects
By Patricia Nugent
The promise of warmer weather signals a highly anticipated return to flip-flops and sandals. But for people suffering from toenail fungus—about 35 million Americans—the anticipation is hardly positive, as it means people will see their discolored, thickened and misshapen nails.
Beyond the unsightly appearance, toenail fungus, left untreated, can lead to a slew of other more dangerous issues, such as cellulitis, a bacterial infection that can enter the bloodstream.
The good news for Clevelanders is there’s a breakthrough low-level laser treatment called the Lunula that has shown dramatic improvement in curing fungus.
One of only a handful of podiatrists in Ohio to offer it,
Dr. Danielle L. Shaper, founder of Finesse Footcare in Lyndhurst, introduced the FDA-cleared laser after researching its promising success in clinical trials.
“The Lunula is the only one on the market to treat fungus with non-thermal and touchless delivery,” she says. “The before-and-after improvement has been amazing. This is a relief, as toenail fungus is one of those conditions that can be difficult to treat. Traditional treatment has included topical creams and oral medications, which can cause unwanted side effects.”
Nothing Succeeds like Success
Word of mouth about the Lunula’s results has spread, causing demand to soar. To keep up with the number of patients she’s treating, and to save them time as well, recently Dr. Shaper purchased a second Lunula, so both feet can be treated concurrently. Having two reduces the time patients need to sit under the laser, which is only 12 minutes.
Effectiveness Without the Risk
Sixty-something BG from Shaker Heights had been suffering from toenail fungus for the past 25 years—then she read about the Lunula in Mimi Magazine.
“I tried topical creams and pills,” she says. “With the pills, I had to have my liver function checked periodically, which was a little scary. An option at one point was to remove the toenail, but that seemed too drastic.”
She says the nail was discolored and thick, rubbing against the top of her shoe, which became painful. It also drastically limited the kind of shoes she could wear.
“The treatment was painless. I felt nothing,” she says. “I just slid my foot into the machine and two colors of lights crossed over my toe for 12 minutes. This was a wonderful experience all-around. Dr. Shaper was such a sweetheart to me and so was her receptionist. You can tell they love spending time with patients.”
After her first treatment, BG noticed improvement. Now there’s healthy pink skin underlying the nail bed and the nail thickness is decreasing as they grow out.
Bringing Leading-Edge Tech to Cleveland
Researching, evaluating and introducing leading-edge technology to the Cleveland area has been a priority for Dr. Shaper since opening her practice in 2019.
The treatment process begins with diagnostics. Through state-of-the-art digital X-rays, Dr. Shaper can get a clear picture of the structure of patients’ feet and help in pinpointing a diagnosis.
In addition to toenail fungus and routine foot care, she treats foot and ankle issues ranging from ingrown toenails to bunions, hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, corns, warts, calluses, sprained ankles, heel pain and spurs, and offers diabetic footcare and custom orthotic shoe inserts.
Finesse Footcare is located at 5035 Mayfield Road in Lyndhurst. Same-day appointments are usually available. The practice accepts a wide variety of insurance plans. Call 216-382-8070 or visit FinesseFootcare.com for more information.