Fungal nail research: what recent evidence shows

Summary

Complete cure rates for any single treatment remain below what most people expect. Combination approaches perform better than monotherapy. Recurrence prevention is under-researched but clinically important. Emerging terbinafine resistance is being monitored internationally.

Consistent findings

Themes across systematic reviews and clinical guidance.

• Oral terbinafine remains the most effective single agent for dermatophyte nail infection
• Reducing or removing the diseased nail improves topical treatment outcomes
• Topical monotherapy performs poorly once the nail is thickened or the matrix is involved
• Recurrence within a few years is common without ongoing prevention
• Laser evidence remains limited by small, short, often uncontrolled studies

What this means in practice

Treat the skin as well as the nail, reduce the nail plate wherever possible, complete the full course, and plan for prevention rather than treating a cleared nail as the end of the story.

How we use evidence here

We summarise published guidance and link to the source. We do not present research as a promise of outcome, and we do not make claims about the products we sell beyond what the manufacturer's approved information supports.