Nasty Nail Fungus And The Yuck Factor:
We know that infected nails are ugly. They can start out a pale yellow color. As the nail gets thicker and more brittle, it may become a darker shade of yellow. As the fungus advances, the color may change from yellow to brown. In some cases, a really nasty nail fungus case may even turn black and start to crumble. Clipping such nails becomes a challenge.
Fungus on the toes nails. Twisted toes on the foot with calluses. Hallux rigidus tends to affect males foot.
How To Prevent Both Foot And Toenail Fungus
While toenail fungus and foot fungus arent the same condition, the following tips can help you prevent both, says Sundling:
- Practice good hygiene, such as keeping your feet clean.
- Alternate your shoes during the week. Your feet sweat all day long. Alternating your shoes allows them to dry out, so the fungus cant survive.
- Wear moisture-wicking socks that help dry out shoes and kill fungus. You can find these at running stores and athletic stores. If your socks are exceptionally sweaty, changing them more than once per day can help.
- Wear shoes in public places like locker rooms, pools, and gyms to limit exposure to fungus.
Finally An End To The Coverup
WHEN fungus invaded her toenails 10 years ago, Ruth Carsch of San Francisco didnt care too much at first. Her nails became thick and fat and yellow, says the 61-year-old information specialist, but she could always hide that behind colorful nail polish.
What she really minded, she says, was how the nail plates grew so thick from the infection that they squashed the toes beneath. My toes are much fatter than they used to be. My feet are wider, Carsch says. It seems to have deformed my toes.
Her podiatrist suggested topical creams, but often they couldnt reach the skin-loving fungus found on the skin underneath the nails. Or they could take my toenails out, Carsch says. I wasnt ready for that one. She refuses to take either of the two antifungal pills available, she says, because her sister-in-law suffered a dangerous drug interaction after taking one of them.
Carsch has instead signed up to help test a new topical antifungal treatment. The hope is that the liquid medication, manufactured by Anacor Pharmaceuticals of Palo Alto, can penetrate toenails, reaching infections on the nail bed and eliminating fungus altogether.
More than 35 million adults in the U.S. have at least one nail — usually a toenail — that is infected with fungus, a condition known as onychomycosis or tinea unguium. Infection risk goes up with age between 25% and 40% of people older than 40 are affected, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
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How Do Dermatologists Treat A Fungal Nail Infection
Treatment usually begins with your dermatologist trimming your infected nail, cutting back each infected nail to the place where it attaches to your finger or toe. Your dermatologist may also scrape away debris under the nail. This helps get rid of some fungus.
To completely get rid of the infection, most people also need one or more of the following treatments:
Medicine you apply to the nail: If you have a mild infection, a medicine that you apply to your nails may get rid of the infection. This treatment helps keep new fungus out while the nails grow. Fingernails typically grow out in four to six months. Toenails take longer, usually takes 12 to 18 months.
Probably the most difficult part of this treatment is remembering to use it as often as prescribed. Some treatments must be applied every day. Others you apply once a week. To get the best results, its essential that you apply these medicines exactly as directed.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the following medicines that you apply to the nail to treat nail fungus:
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Amorolfine
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Efinaconazole
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Tavaborole
Side effects from these medicines are generally mild. Possible side effects include redness and swelling, an ingrown toenail, and stinging or burning when you apply the medicine. In clinical trials, none of these side effects caused patients to stop using the treatment.
The FDA has approved the following systemic medicines to treat nail fungus:
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Fluconazole
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Itraconazole
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Terbinafine
How To Properly Apply Antifungal Nail Polish

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What Is The Prognosis Of Fungal Nails
Curing fungal nails can be difficult and treatment can take up to 18 months. Relapse and reinfection are common. Trying to remove or modify your risk factors, if possible, is essential to preventing reinfection. People who have medical illnesses that predispose them to fungal nails can have an even more difficult time eradicating the fungus.
What Is The Best Mens Toe Nail Polish To Hide Fungus
This is the transparent anti fungal nail polish that men are using to hide nail fungus.
Is Anti fungal Nail Polish The Safe Option To Hide Nail Fungus?
Yes it is a safe option because it combats fungus when it is applied on the infected nail.
It is made of natural anti fungal and antibacterial ingredients formulated for nail fungus.
Avoid using normal polish for your fungal nails as this will make fungus grow further and become worse and always opt for anti fungal nail polish.
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Fungus Naturally
Keep Your Fungal Nail Trimming Equipment Separate
Nail clippers and other equipment that comes in contact with fungal areas are not objects that should be used anywhere else, or for anyone else. Doing so invites a greater chance for a fungus to be carried from one set of nails to another.
This is not just a warning against sharing toenail trimmers between family members you should also not use that set of trimmers on your fingernails, either! It is quite possible for a fungal infection to be transferred from toenails to fingernails, and you cant exactly hide the latter in a pair of socks all day.
Similarly, only use proper trimming equipment on your toes. Using smaller fingernail clippers not only increases the risk of transferring the fungus if you slip up, they are likely also not going to work very well.
It is also wise to regularly disinfect your equipment, just in case. A soak of a few minutes in rubbing alcohol or diluted bleach will do the trickjust make sure to completely dry any metal parts to avoid rusting. Also make sure all nail debris and matter is cleaned off.
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Dont Fear Asking For Help
Trimming your toenails is a fundamental part of normal hygiene, but complications such as fungal infections can make the task much more difficult. This doesnt even factor in dangers such as diabetes, infections risks, and more.
If you ever have questions about how to best trim your toenailsfungal or notwe are more than happy to offer advice and help. We can also help you take care of fungal infections, ingrown nails, and other problems at the source to avoid further problems down the road.
Contact either of our offices to connect with our staff:
- Roselle Park 687-5757
Or, if you would like, fill out our online form to contact us electronically.
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How To Treat Fungal Toenails
Posted on 05.30.17|Yuko Miyazaki, DPM|
There are many places to go and things to do in Berkeley all year long, and especially in our summer months. No matter if you enjoy visiting the Berkeley Rose Garden or revisiting your childhood with a ride on the Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round, its always a little better when youre wearing sandals or open-toed shoes to air out your feet and keep them cool. You may disagree, though, if you have a case of fungal toenails!
Whereas some people are quite comfortable sporting open-toed shoes, others feel the need to keep discolored, distorted toenails hidden from the world. If you are one of those individuals, you should know there are fungal toenail treatment options that can help.
When it comes to treatment for fungal toenails, the best place to start is with methods you can try on your own at home. We will certainly provide professional treatment if you need it, but you may want to try any of the following remedies first:
- Apple cider vinegar. This particular type of vinegar has a mild acidity, which both prevents the fungal infection from spreading and eradicates the offensive fungus . To correctly perform this form of treatment, mix apple cider vinegar with an equal amount of water in a basin. Soak the affected foot in the solution for about thirty minutes.
Home care is a good starting point, but there is certainly a chance you will benefit from professional treatment. In these cases, you may need:
What Causes Fungal Toenails

Well, the easiest answer is a fungus, but its somewhat more complicated than that.
Multiple breeds of fungus can cause an infection in the nails. The most common type is dermatophytes. However, yeasts and molds can also be culprits . Within this family of fungus is also the one that is responsible for tinea pedis, or athletes foot.
Our skin and immune systems tend to keep most fungal invaders from gaining any ground on us. However, a fungus can still sometimes get through a cut or other weakness around the nailbed and take root.
It is not easy for toenail fungus to spread directly from person to person, but its still possible. A fungus more often tends to spread via contact with where it thrives in warm, damp areas. This gives places like public pools, locker rooms, and showers a higher risk of contraction.
You are also more likely to get toenail fungus if you:
- Are older. Your toenails tend to naturally be more brittle and open to infection, and reduced blood flow reduces your ability to fight invaders.
- Sweat heavily. This creates more of the damp, warm environment fungus loves.
- Have a history of athletes foot. The same fungus can spread to your nails.
- Have diabetes. This condition also reduces blood flow and the bodys ability to fight fungal infections.
Read Also: What Medication Treats Toenail Fungus
What Other Conditions Can Be Mistaken For Fungal Nails
Here are some other conditions you may have instead of fungal nails:
Trichophyton
How Do You Get Rid Of Fungal Toenails
A fungal toenail infection will never just clear up in a few days. It takes steady, often specialized treatment to properly take care of. Sometimes, certain treatments may not work at all.
An extremely helpful first stepand one we are proud to offer at Total Foot and Ankleis DNA analysis of a nail to determine exactly what type of fungus is responsible for the unsightly situation. Knowing this can guide us toward the optimal types of treatment and greatly increase our success rate!
Laser treatment is one of our primary forms of addressing fungal toenails. Using our in-house unit, we can specifically target areas of infection with different wavelengths of light energy, attacking the fungus while leaving surrounding, healthy tissue unharmed.
There is no pain involved with laser treatment , and it typically takes several sessions of treatments for the fungus to be fully eradicated.
Other forms of treatment for a fungal infection may include topical anti-fungal ointments applied directly to the nail or anti-fungal pills that are swallowed. The effectiveness of these methods can vary, however, and oral anti-fungal medications often come with side effects that keep them from being an option for everybody.
In rare, severe cases, we might recommend removal of the nail. Permanent removal is only recommended if the condition is causing pain.
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How To Cover Up Toenail Fungus
If you want to cover up your toenail fungus, i recommend using medicated nail polish. Using a nail polish is the best way to cover up your unattractive and embarrassing nail infection. In an instant, you are able to give your nails a healthier impression. Antifungal nail polish works great because of all the mixture of natural antifungal ingredients. These ingredients usually include tea tree oil, garlic, lavender oil, biotin and more. Using antifungal nail polish will help to treat the fungal infection while also improving the aesthetics.
If youre trying to hide toenail fungus and feel as though covering up your nails is something you need to do, your in for a treat. Below weve listed the best antifungal nail polish on the market today.
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