ABSTRACT
Human nails are often prone to a wide range of disorders. Nail diseases cannot be ignored as a mere cosmetic problem, as they could cause severe dystrophy of the nail plate and lead to serious consequences. Considering the high prevalence of these disorders, nail formulations constitute a sizable fraction of cosmetic products. Amorolfine nail lacquer is applied once or twice weekly for a period of 6–12 months in the management of distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis. The nail lacquer needs to be applied daily for about 24 weeks in the case of nail infection and for 48 weeks in case of toe infections. Iontophoresis is applied using a device following application of the gel formulation to the nail plate. Iontophoresis is known to increase the drug delivery by principle of electrorepulsion. Most often nail penetration enhancers are used to improve the effectiveness of topical therapy. Biophysical therapy for the treatment of ungual diseases may include laser therapy and photodynamic therapy.
