Home Treatment to Get Rid of Nail Fungus

by: Gugus Sakti



Nail fungus (onychomycosis) is an infection that more than 35 million people in the United States suffer from. It is caused by several microorganisms (anaerobic organisms called dermatophytes) that essentially eat the keratin incorporated in your nails. Fungus is a living organism that thrives in dark, moist places – and in the case of nail fungus – under and around your toe nails or finger nails. It is that flaky, brittle, yellow or discolored thick nail that you have. The discoloration is caused by the fungus being deep inside the nails.

Dermatophytes live in shower rooms and around swimming pools – so you need to be very careful in those places.

If getting treatment for nail fungus, it can take at least two months for the new nails to grow back completely. In some cases the nail(s) need to be removed. Many times this infection reappears after a successful cure.

If you have ugly nails pay a visit to your doctor first. If your infection is a milder one, the treatment time would be short, but you would still need to wait for the nail(s) to grow out completely after you get rid of the fungus.

If your infection is more severe, it can take three to six months – up to a year – to treat the problem. A lot depends on your age and your health conditions.

Feet are encased in socks and shoes or sneakers all day. The darkness and moisture from sweating is an ideal environment for fungus to grow. If your skin’s pH level fluctuates too much, if you have poor foot hygiene, or your toenail experiences trauma – you have a good chance of developing the fungus.

There are basically three types of treatments for nail fungus.

There is the topical toenail fungus treatment which is the cheapest and most effective method of toenail fungus. Depending on the severity of your case, you can go to your doctor, or to your local pharmacist and purchase a cream or ointment specifically for fungus removal right over the counter. Follow the instructions on the product label and understand that is will take time for the medication to eradicate the fungus. Minimize additional toenail trauma and keep your feet as dry and out in the open as possible to prevent the fungus from spreading. Keep your shoes dry and don’t wear the same pair of socks twice without laundering them.

If the topical treatment is not working for you, or your case is quite severe, see your doctor for a prescription for an oral medication that will kill the organism from the inside out. This is a bit costly, and can take up to three months for the infection to completely go away. There may be side effects with oral medications.

If nothing is working and your case is extreme, you may have to have the nail(s) surgically removed. This would be your last resort; but with no nail to live under the fungus will die and leave you organism free. And you will also be toenail free as well. Only your doctor will be able to decide if nail removal is your only option.

Looking for something a little more of a “home remedy?”

Vicks Vaporub is a cough suppressant topical analgesic. By rubbing your nail or toenail twice a day with a generous amount of it, you will see an improvement in just a few days. It may take as long as six months, but this will take care of your infection. You will need to continue with this treatment until the new nail completely grows to ensure that none of the infection will remain, allowing the fungus to reappear. Should your nail(s) begin to darken, switch to using tea tree oil or hydrogen peroxide.

Another remedy is using apple cider vinegar. Simply put – the fungus cannot stand on an acid environment. It’s safe to use, it’s cheap, and it’s effective. You will even see results with white vinegar, but the results will be better with apple cider vinegar. You will need to use it three times a day, each day, for at least six months until the new nail has completely grown in. Just place some drops of vinegar on your nails each morning, each evening and after you shower. Once a week soak your nails in a basin with vinegar. Continue until the new nail(s) have grown in completely.

Hydrogen peroxide is another excellent remedy for nail fungus. Don’t use 30% hydrogen peroxide.

Applying a pure HP at 3% on the skin and toenail, each day and evening, will show great results as well. If you also have symptoms of athlete’s foot, within four day it can be gone with this treatment. And within two weeks, nail fungus improvement is very noticeable.

Tea tree oil can be applied to the affected nails twice daily as well for an effective treatment.

Once your fungus is gone, try soaking your hands/feet in warm water with Listerine mouthwash added to the water. Do this once or twice a week to prevent the fungus from coming back.

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