Is Your Salon Causing Toenail Fungus
Founder – Chronic Foot Pain Center of New York
I have listened over the years as countless patients have told me horror stories about their experience at the nail salon, and how before going for pedicures, their toenails were clear and beautiful. You’ve thought about it, right? All of a sudden your toenails are looking a bit yellow, thicker, maybe they crumble and break.
Blaming it on your nail salon seems like the obvious thing to do. But is this really true? Are nail salons responsible for the epidemic of toenail fungus we now see in our society? Or, is it possible that this is entirely false, and the real cause of toenail fungus is something entirely different?
While it may seem to make perfect sense that nail salons are spreading the bug, inoculating a nail bed with fungal spores is not that easy and requires two simultaneous conditions. The first is the requirement that the nail bed would need to have been cut into in order to introduce the infecting organism into the nail bed. The second would be a compromised immune system that could not fight off the infection. Wounds of this type would more likely cause bacterial infection.
So now let’s talk about what this internal infection might be and why certain people are prone to getting them. Toenail infections are borne out of an excess of fungi in the gastrointestinal tract tract that leads to eventual discharge into toenails. How does this occur? The answer is right at the end of your fork!
Why You Should Never Let Toenail Fungus Go Untreated
Have you retired those adorable strappy sandals, even though theyre the perfect complement to your summery outfits? They definitely wont work with whats going on with your toenails so youve had to opt for a closed-toe option. Toenail fungus is definitely not a good look.
There are plenty of home remedies, but they dont seem to work. And nail fungus doesnt just go away on its own. Fortunately, the team at Easton Dermatology Associates can address any nail fungus issue you may have with a diverse menu of treatment options. We customize our approach to your particular infections history and severity.
How Do I Know If I Have A Fungal Nail Infection
Because other infections can affect the nail and mimic symptoms of a fungal nail infection, the only way to confirm a diagnosis is to see a doctor. Theyll take a scraping of the nail and look under a microscope for signs of fungus.
In some cases, your doctor may send the sample to a lab for analysis and identification.
Over-the-counter products arent usually recommended to treat nail infections since they dont provide reliable results. Instead, your doctor may prescribe an oral antifungal medication, such as:
- terbinafine
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Nail Fungus Treatment Canada
When you check out one of the vital a lot of methods that other folks have been utilizing to regard toenail fungus on the Internet, it could seem incredible.
Also accessible for remedy of nail fungus are a large number of obviously derived products which have been constructed to combat the condition.
The worry that folks have about nail fungus is, therefore, unfounded, according to the findings of the study.
In other words, they could be required to pay for their doctors visit in addition to the medication. Nails are a superior habitat for the fungus. Nail Fungus Treatment Canada Nails are a superior habitat for the fungus. If you require medicine to treat your nail fungus, which you could choose between a whole lot of options.
When Pedicures Go Bad
If pedicure tools arentsterilized properly, you can get skin and nail infections, which may show upimmediately or later even months later. These include:
- Bacterial infections. If your toenail or the area around the nail appears red, hot or swollen a few days after your pedicure, you may have a bacterial skin or nail infection. Treatment can include antibiotics and possibly an incision to drain the area.
- Fungal infections. Your nail turning yellow and beginning to lift off is a sign of a nail fungus, one of the most common results of a rogue pedicure. Fungal infections may not appear for months. Oral and topical treatments can resolve these infections.
- Viral infections. These come in the form of plantar warts, the most common viral infection of the foot, and may not show up for months after the pedicure. You can pick these up in the salon or spa or neighborhood pool. Dark spots and a callus-like covering are common with plantar warts. Treatment for these include medicine that applied to the skin.
If you notice signs of any of these infections, see yourdoctor for treatment ASAP.
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Keep Your Nail Care Items Exclusive
At home, make sure to never share your personal hygiene items such as nail clippers, nail files, and feet scrubbers with anyone, including your family.
This is the quickest way to spread toenail fungus and is a reason why when one child in the family gets a fungus, its only a matter of time before the others start to pick it up.
Consider A Home Pedi Or A Professional Treatment
Oftentimes, a home pedicure is the safest way to avoid foot or toe infections. Ask a member of our team for advice on how to properly sanitize your tools and wed be happy to share our recommendations.
For those who fell victim to a fungal or bacterial infection, you might need an antibiotic. Luckily, our team is here to diagnose and treat your foot infections. We can even help you trim those ingrown toenails or help those with diabetes avoid infection. Visit our contact page to make a quick appointment or give us a call today at 239.936.5400.
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The Best Thing To Do About Your Fungal Toenails Is Treat Them
The best way to keep fungal toenails from worsening or spreading is to treat them as early as possible. And thanks to laser treatment technology, eradicating your fungal infection is a lot safer, more convenient, and more effective than it used to be.
To learn more about how we treat fungal toenails at our office, be sure to check out our service page. And if youre ready to request an appointment with Dr. Patel or Dr. Harpaz, just give us a call at or fill out the form below today!
What Are Treatments For Toenail Fungus
Do you need to treat your nail fungus? Maybe it doesn’t hurt, and the yellow, thick nails don’t bother you.
But nail fungus doesn’t go away by itself. And if you don’t treat it, there’s a chance it could get worse. It could spread to other nails or through your body. It could cause pain when you walk.
There are a number of ways to take care of it, including:
Nonprescription options. You can buy antifungal creams, gels, and nail polish at the store and online without a prescription. You might want to try one of them first if the infection doesn’t look bad. Some people also swear by home remedies like menthol rub, tea tree oil, mouthwash, or snakeroot extract — but studies show mixed results.
Prescription polish and creams. Your foot doctor will likely trim your nail and file away its dead layers. They may also take a piece of your nail and send it to the lab to make sure itâs really a fungus and to find out what type it is.
The doctor might suggest an antifungal drug that you paint on your nails. This may work on its own, or they may suggest you take it with antifungal pills.
Prescription medications. One of several antifungal pills may help. They work, but it may take many months to do the job. They also come with side effects like nausea, vomiting, and headaches. They may cause liver damage too, so your doctor will watch you closely while you take them. Be sure to tell them about any other meds youâre taking — some antifungal pills might not work well with them.
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How To Avoid Spreading Fungus
- Studies have shown that toenail fungus easily spreads in close quarters. Isolate your infection by using the same foot soak basin for soaks and pedicures, and cleanse the basin thoroughly with Clorox bleach or Lysol. If possible, dump the used water outside.
- Dont share nail tools with family or friends. Nail clippers and files, cuticle clippers and pushers, and buffers are magnets for fungi.
- Opt for disposal items to remove polish and dry your toes, such as cotton pads. If you use rags or towels, immediately put them in the washerbut first, make sure its empty. You dont want fungal spores from an infected toenail contaminating your undergarments!
- As you give yourself a pedicure, rest your feet on paper towels instead of your bath mat. Wearing disposable flip-flops is the better option if you dont want to scrub the bathroom floor or tub.
- Leaving your toenails unpainted allows the nail bed to breathe. But if you must embellish your toes , plan on throwing the polish away afterward.
Bring Your Own Pedicure Tools To The Nail Salon
Dont be embarrassed to bring your own tools or even nail polish to a nail salon! Not all businesses will be okay with this, but a flexible pedicurist can work with whatever tools you bring them.
Youll have greater peace of mind knowing that your pedicure tools were sterilized properly and only used by you not hundreds of other strangers.
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Skip The Callus Filing
Its a standard part of most foot bath treatments: the pedicurist pulls out a metal or plastic callus file and starts to scrub your heel. This file strips away the hardened skin, creating a softer heel. But in many cases,
What to do instead: Rather than scrape off helpful callus skin, moisturize your feet regularly to avoid dry or cracked skin. If you still have an excessive buildup of dead tissue, consider a warm soak and exfoliating scrub at home, or have your calluses professionally filed by a trained podiatrist.
What Things Can You Do To Avoid Toenail Fungus
- If youve ingrown nails, then do not cut them visit a podiatrist for help. Elsewhere it can cause fungus.
- Ask your nail technician to use sterilized equipment and proper sanitization while working on your nail.
- You can even use products to keep your nails Toenails and other nails healthy and fungus/bacteria-free.
- Get pedicure and nail treatments from time to time.
- Do not share your nail tools with anybody else to avoid infection chances.
- You should stop eating diets that include gluten because fungus feeds on gluten.
- You can take coconut capsules because they are anti-bacterial and avoid Toenail fungus.
Bottom Line
So this was all about Toenail fungus. Dont forget to keep your feet and feet nails healthy and avoid any diseases.
Now its your turn to help us by leaving a comment.
Thank you for reading!
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How Are Nail Infections Treated
If you have any of these symptoms, make an appointment with a dermatologist. He or she will need to take a clipping of the nail to send out to the lab to be evaluated so dont trim the nail very short.
Once diagnosed with a fungal infection, youll need to apply a prescription-strength antifungal liquid, or take an oral antifungal pill. Topical over-the-counter antifungal creams usually dont penetrate deeply enough into the nail. Patience is key because nails grow slowly. It can take months to clear up these infections. If you get a nail fungal infection, you may still be able to wear nail polish, but you should not wear artificial nails because it will be hard for your doctor to monitor your improvement. Artificial nails also can create an environment that allows fungi and bacteria to grow more easily.
If youre treated for a toenail fungus, try not to wear shoes without socks. Also, buy an over-the-counter antifungal powder or spray at the drugstore to treat your shoes, so you dont re-infect yourself.
For bacterial infections, your dermatologist may need to drain the infected area and might also recommend warm soaks and an antibiotic ointment.
Early Treatment Is Key To Preventing Severe Onychomycosis
Nail fungal infections are best treated in its earliest stages. Once you spot any of the mentioned early signs and symptoms, seek the advice of your health professional. Usually, for early onychomycosis, treatment may simply be in the form of topical anti-fungal solutions. EmoniNail is a perfect example of a topical treatment that contains safe and effective ingredients, such as undecylenic acid and tea tree oil, that will likely kill fungi and improve the nails overall health.
Treating onychomycosis in recent times has advanced and the availability of surgical treatments, laser therapies, and other oral anti-fungal medications are now out in the market. Although not necessary in early onychomycosis, they also prove to be successful in eliminating fungal nail infections. These types of treatments are best recommended under the supervision of your doctor. Visit your physicians to know what treatment works best for you.
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Whos At Risk For Fungal Infections
There are many different causes of fungal nail infections. Each cause has a treatment of its own. Although many of the causes of a fungal nail infection are preventable, some risk factors increase the likelihood of developing one. Youre more likely to develop a fungal nail infection if you:
- wear closed-toe shoes, such as tennis shoes or boots
Nail infections occur more often in men than in women, and the infections are found in adults more often than in children. If you have family members who often get these types of fungal infections, youre more likely to get them as well.
Older adults have a high risk for getting fungal nail infections because they have poorer circulation. The nails also grow more slowly and thicken as we age.
A fungal infection of the nail may affect part of the nail, the entire nail, or several nails.
Common signs of a fungal nail infection include:
- a distorted nail that may lift off from the nail bed
- an odor coming from the infected nail
- a brittle or thickened nail
Unexpected Ways In Which To Get Toenail Fungus:
1. You might have done it to yourself! If you have athletes foot, that can spread to your toenails. You can also catch foot fungus by walking barefoot in a communal area such as a gym locker room, swimming pool, campground shower, or dorm shower.
2. Listen to your mom! Dont share personal items. Another way to get a fungal infection is by sharing items such as towels, toenail clippers, shoes, or socks. Be sure to put on those silly little sockies at the shoe store before you try on new shoes.
3. And you thought that pedicure was your big reward! Unfortunately for you, toe fungus was the prize. Some salons do not sanitize their equipment properly between clients. Additionally, when pedicurists cut the cuticle, they leave your skin open to infection by sneaky fungus.
4. Those killer stilettos pose a peril to your toes. Wearing tight shoes or hosiery which have been squeezing your toes and traumatizing them, leaves them open to infection.
5. People with weakened immune systems, poor circulation, or diabetes are more likely to get infected.
6. Men are more likely to be infected than women. Women often wear open-toed shoes, so maybe they air their feet out more.
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Will A Nail Salon Treat Nails With Fungus
Nail technicians are familiar with nail infections of many kinds, so your fingernail or foot fungus wont surprise them. Onychomycosis in fingernails or toenails is more common than most people think, and many nail salons will provide a manicure and pedicure despite any nail infections you may bring with you. However, that they provide the service doesnt mean they should. A manicure and pedicure wont hurt an existing fungal infection, but its possible to spread it to other salon clients. Your best course is to alert the staff ahead of time so they may sterilize the equipment, including nail files and nail clippers, after use. If youre asked to bring your own nail kit, theyll tell you what tools to include. If your pedicure includes a foot bath, before you dip you toes into it, ask if the tub has been disinfected.
Onychomycosis is a stubborn infection that nail salons are not equipped to treat. And keep in mind that, while a case of athletes foot will usually respond well to an antifungal or other over-the-counter treatment, a medical professional can deal most effectively with a toenail fungus infection.
Tight Shoes And Toenail Fungus
Wearing closed-toe shoes, especially those that are narrow in the toe box, can cause trauma to your toenails, which can weaken your nails and make them more susceptible to a toenail fungal infection, Zinkin says. When you have to wear a closed-toe shoe, choose footwear that offers plenty of room for your toes to move without being pinched. Or opt for shoes that allow your feet to breathe. “Any open-toed shoe or flip-flop will allow light and air circulation and will help prevent toenail fungus,” Zinkin says.
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