Toenail Fungus Treatment Options
You have likely already examined many treatment options for fungus. As previously mentioned it can be difficult to get topical treatments to the area where they will do the most good, under your nails in the nail bed. This is one reason several prescription options were created.
Toenail fungus is quite frequently treated with an oral anti-fungal such as Lamisil or Sporanox. These medications go directly to the blood stream and work from the inside out to eradicate fungus. Oral anti-fungal drugs tend to work more quickly than topical options. This is one reason why they are so commonly prescribed by doctors.
Unfortunately, oral medications like these can have serious side effects, from mild rashes to serious live issues. Generally, you will be required to have regular testing for liver output while you are taking these medications. All in all, it can take 4 months or more for the toenail fungus to clear entirely, and if you are suffering liver problems, heart failure or taking certain medications your doctor could refuse to prescribe them.
This is yet another reason individuals will turn to nature for their solutions, hence tea tree oil for toenail fungus!
Does Tea Tree Oil Work
Results from scientific studies supporting the use of tea tree oil to treat nail fungus are mixed. Some of the research points to tea tree oils potential as an antifungal, but more studies are needed.
According to a 2013 study, tea tree oil was effective in reducing growth of the fungus Trichophyton rubrum in nail infections. T. rubrum is a fungus that can cause infections such as athletes foot and nail fungus. Improvements were seen after 14 days.
This study used an in vitro model, which is sometimes called a test-tube experiment. In in vitro studies, the experiment is done in a test tube instead of on an animal or human. Larger human studies are needed to expand on these findings.
Combining tea tree oil with standard medicated creams is also an option. A small 1999 study found that participants were able to successfully manage toenail fungus by using a cream that contained butenafine hydrochloride and tea tree oil.
After 16 weeks of treatment, 80 percent of participants who used this cream cured their toenail fungus with no relapses. No one in the placebo group cured their nail fungus. Further studies are needed to determine which of these ingredients is most useful in treating nail fungus.
Results of a 1994 study found pure tea tree oil was equally as effective as the antifungal clotrimazole in treating fungal toenail infections. Clotrimazole is available both over the counter and by prescription.
Even with diluted tea tree oil, always do a skin patch test before use:
What Else Can I Do To Prevent Toenail Fungus
Tea tree oil is a good treatment for existing nail fungus. But, you should think about how to prevent a fungal infection in the future. It may not always be possible, but there are precautions you can take.
Keep these preventative measures in mind to help protect yourself:
- Keep your toenails short and clean. This will help to prevent moisture and debris from getting stuck under the nail. It will also prevent the buildup of dirt and other types of bacteria that may cause infection.
- Wear ventilated antifungal socks, and let your feet air out. If you are prone to toenail fungus, choosing socks made of synthetic material is best. They wont allow moisture to build up inside, like cotton and wool might.
- Always wear shoes in public places. Its easy to pick up a fungal infection, so keeping your feet protected is important. Its especially important in places like the gym, or when youre walking around a public pool, etc.
- Practice good hygiene. Again, its easy to often ignore our feet until we see or feel a problem. Keeping your feet clean and dry is a simple way to protect yourself from infection every day.
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How To Apply Tea Tree Oil On Your Nails
Tea tree oil is an extremely active and potent ingredient. Remember to dilute the tea tree oil in a suitable carrier oil such as coconut oil, argan oil, almond oil or jojoba oil in the ratio of 5-10% tea tree oil in the rest of carrier oil.
After preparing the nails, it is time to apply the oil treatment.
Method
Nail Fungus Consumer Review
How many times have you read about tea tree oil for nail fungus as a valid treatment when you need to get rid of a fungal infection under the nail?
Search in Google tea tree oil for nail fungus and you will find more articles than you can read in a lifetime!
To make a long story short, we will look in this article at tea tree oil for nail fungus from all necessary angles to assess the reliability of this nail fungus remedy.
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Applying Tea Tree Oil To Your Nails
Before you apply 100% tea tree oil anywhere on your body, its best to do a test. Some people have sensitive skin. While its a safe oil, its properties can prove too strong for some when its used on its own. If you have done a patch test and experienced no reaction, you should be safe.
If you experience minor irritation or want to be safe, create a solution with the tea tree oil. You can still enjoy its benefits by diluting it with a carrier oil. Olive oil and jojoba oil are great neutral carriers. They will also help to add moisture to your nails and the surrounding skin.
Once you have made a solution of tea tree oil, follow these steps:
How Do You Use Tea Tree Oil For Toenail Fungus
You dont have to be a medical professional to use tea tree oil.
As previously mentioned, you should start by mixing this oil with a career oil. Because its diluted, the chance of adverse reaction is reduced. Most people use cotton swabs to apply the concoction. You can also use cotton balls, of course. You need to soak the area for several minutes.
No matter what type of a toenail fungus you have, it is necessary to apply ointments and creams several times a week. This also goes for tea tree oil. Given that oils are not as strong as oral medication, they need much more time to work. In some cases, it might take up to several months to get results.
We recommend that you put 4 or 5 drops into half-ounce of career oil. Then, you should mix them and stir them into a bucket of lukewarm water. When the mixture is ready, you can soak your feet in it. Make sure not to overdo it you can soak them for up to 20 minutes.
However, soaking is just one part of the process. You also have to take care of your nails. They need to be properly trimmed for as long as the process lasts. Clippers have to be clean! You should also file your nails to remove dead cells.
As you can presume, you should always wash your hands properly after the treatment. It is also necessary to dry your feet. The fungus grows rapidly in a humid environment, so the last thing you want to do is stimulate their growth.
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What Is Nail Fungus
A fungal infection in the nails can begin as a small spot white or yellow-colored under the tip of your nail. As the infection spreads, the entire nail may become discolored and thicken, often beginning to crack and crumble.
Nail fungal infection or onychomycosis can affect the nails on your hands or feet. Toenails are more commonly affected by it. It can affect several nails or only a single nail. Mild infections are often painless and do not require treatment. But if the nail infection is widespread, you will need immediate and aggressive treatment.
The only problem is that not all cases of nail fungus are treatable. Even if they are, there is always a risk of the infection recurring. Opting for natural remedies such as tea tree oil can be a wiser option in such a case. Heres why you should consider treating your toenail fungus with tea tree oil.
Vicks And Tea Tree Oil For Toenail Fungus:
Vicks have many strong ingredients in it which have the power to fight against fungus.
Ingredients:
- Massage the tea tree oil on the clean and affected nail
- Let it dry for few min.
- Then rub the vicks on the infected nail
- Leave it for few minutes and wipe it off
Repetitions: Repeat this process once in a day.
Best Time to apply: Before bed.
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Toenail Fungus Is Difficult To Treat
Fungi of all types are readily available in the world around you, for the most part they leave us alone and we leave them alone. However, there are a few Fungi that find places on the human body to be quite pleasant. What starts as a small yellow or white patch at the end of the nail can quickly spread to the rest of the nail.
Toenail fungus can result in thickened, chalky, splitting and even foul-smelling nails. This problem is not one that will cause you serious medical issues, but who wants to go around with cracking, thickening or smelly nails? One of the biggest problems with this disorder is the fact that it buries deep within the nail bed, beneath the nail itself making it rather difficult to apply topical treatments. It is often after a few failed attempts with traditional medicine that leads to testing out tea tree oil for nail fungus.
What Do Consumer Reviews Say
Since Tea Tree Oil has a lot of benefits and it is used for different purposes it is a bit difficult to find consumer reviews for using it precisely on Nail Fungus. However since Tea Tree Oil is very popular remedy it is possible to find a couple of positive testimonials from actual consumers. Read a few reviews of users who used Tea Tree Oil for treating Nail Fungus below.
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Any Toenail Fungus Treatment Takes Time
No matter if you opt to use a natural remedy like tea tree oil or the proven effective ketoconazole, getting rid of toenail fungus takes a lot of time and patience.
To finally get rid of the fungus youâll have to stop the progression while you fully grow out the infected toenail .
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If you stop using the toenail fungus treatment before the fungus has grown out, reoccurrence will likely happen.
Also note, untreated toenail fungus is liable to spread to other nails or parts of your foot. Toenail fungus treatment, no matter how slow the progress may be, is recommended because the fungus will likely spread without treatment.
If youâre trying to get rid of toenail fungus know that youâll need to commit to treatment for quite a while to see a full resolution.
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How Long It Will Take To Recover
Using the oil consistently will give you visible results. Depending on how severe your infection was, to begin with, it may take anywhere between a few weeks to a few months for your nails to heal completely.
After a few months, you will grow a new nail that is free from any fungal growth. However, it is advised to continue the tea tree oil treatment to ensure that the fungus does not return.
Should You Try Tea Tree Oil
It might be worth trying tea tree oil for athletes foot, toenail fungus, or acne. But skip tea tree oil products marketed to combat bad breath, tooth plaque, and gum disease. In fact, says Krant, don’t use tea tree oil for any oral conditions it may be unsafe to eat or drink. And if you use it on your skin, stop the treatment immediately if you notice that it’s causing irritation or a rashsome people are allergic to tea tree oil.
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Trim Nails With Nail Clipper
Because infected nails tend to be very thick, you will likely need an extra-large clipper for this task. Carefully trim off excess growth and any dead portions of the nail, and try to get the nail to be even and straight across. This allows the oil to penetrate the nail faster, and it also promotes healthy growth so you can get rid of the toenail fungus. Be careful not to cut too much, as the oil can burn if you cut the nail down too short.
For Moderate To Severe Cases Of Fungal Infections Use Emuaidmax
If you have a moderate to severe fungal infection, your best bet is to utilize a topical solution such as EmuaidMAX. We are huge fans of EmuaidMAX because it utilizes medical grade essential oils such as Tea Tree Oil, Camphor, Castor Oil, Vitamin E, and more.
In fact, it shares many of the same ingredients are Vicks Vaporub but in a significantly more concentrated and powerful form. It is one of our top recommended products on this site, and we seriously recommend considering it to treat your fungal infection.
In short, if you have a mild case of nail fungus, you may be able to get away with using Vicks Vaporub. However, if you have a moderate to severe case of nail fungus, or even if you are just worried about your fungal infection spreading, we highly recommend utilizing EmuaidMAX.
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Potential Side Effects Of Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil in its natural, pure and undiluted state can cause well documented side effects.
However, dilution using carrier oils, plain water, rose water, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, alcohol, aloe vera, lemon juice and other essential oils can provide the dilution necessary to avoid these side effects while still resolving the fungal issue.
It is important to be aware of tea tree oils side effects regardless, because you may need to adjust the percentages of other ingredients to ensure the most healing and yet least irritating effect from using tea tree oil.
Tea tree oils known side effects include these:
» Skin dryness.» Inflammation.» Rash.
Also, if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, it is always a good idea to talk with your doctor before trying any new health regimen, including tea tree oil.
What Is Tea Tree Oil Good For
Tea tree oil comes from the leaves of the tea tree, proper name melaleuca alternifolia native to various parts of Australia. In its native land tea tree oil has been utilized to treat a wide range of skin ailments including burns, abrasions, infections and fungus. This natural remedy was first discovered in the 1920s but it would be several decades before commercial production really took off.
It should be noted that while the tea tree was first used for extracting this essential oil it has since been successfully extracted from multiple melaleuca plants and trees. Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic and anti-fungal essential oil. It is meant for topical application only as it can be fatal if taken internally.
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