How To Make Toenail Fungus Go Away

Treatments For Fungal Nail Infections

Treatment isn’t always needed for a mild fungal nail infection because it’s unlikely to cause any further problems and you may feel it’s not worth treating.

Whether you decide to have treatment or not, you should still practise good foot hygiene to stop the infection getting worse or spreading to others.

Speak to your GP or pharmacist if you’re bothered by the appearance of the affected nail, or it’s causing problems such as pain and discomfort. They’ll probably recommend:

• antifungal tablets tablets taken once or twice a day for several months
• antifungal nail paints special paints applied directly to the nail over several months
• nail softening kits where a paste is used to soften infected parts of the nail, before they’re removed with a scraping device

A procedure to remove the nail completely may be recommended in severe cases. Laser treatment, where a high-energy laser is used to destroy the fungus, is also an option. But this is only available privately and can be expensive.

You can reduce your risk of developing a fungal nail infection by:

Nail salon equipment can sometimes be the source of fungal nail infections. If you regularly visit a salon, make sure any equipment used is properly sterilised between uses.

Cure Toenail Pain From Fungus Infection

Know The Symptoms And Reasons You Shouldn’t Wait to Seek Effective Treatment

A painful, thick, yellow, green, brown or black toenail means you could have a toenail fungus infection. If you have a toenail fungal infection it won’t go away on its own. You can’t get rid of it with home remedies or over the counter topical treatments. Learn why, and how to cure it by reading more.

Toenail fungus is common and it can develop when dry, brittle nails develop cracks that allow fungus to enter the nail unit. A toenail fungus infection most often occurs when excessive moisture gets under your toenail and is trapped by your socks and shoes, allowing fungus to grow and thrive. Nail fungus can also be caused by yeast and mold.

Left untreated toenail fungus can become a foot fungus, spreading from your toenail, to the skin in between your toes, your arch and the heel of your foot.

Scratching it or picking at it can also spread it to your fingers, and then to other parts of your body. You can also spread it to other people if you are sharing a shower or tub.

What Is The Outcome For Someone Who Has Nail Fungus

With treatment, many people can get rid of nail fungus. Even when the fungus clears, your nail may look unhealthy until the infected nail grows out. A fingernail grows out in 4 to 6 months and a toenail in 12 to 18 months.

To clear the fungus, its important to:

• Use the treatment exactly as prescribed

• Apply the medicine for as long as prescribed

• Keep all follow-up appointments with your dermatologist

Nail fungus can be stubborn. If you had a severe infection, its possible to clear the infection. A healthy looking nail, however, may be unrealistic, but you can expect the nail to look better and feel more comfortable.

Even with clearing, nail fungus can return. Youll find steps to reduce your risk in Tips: 12 ways to prevent another nail infection.

ImageGetty Images

ReferenceGold LFS and Rosen T. Onychomycosis: Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies. Dermatology News . March 2016:2-15.

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What Causes Toenail Fungus And How Can I Get Rid Of It

If your toenails are crusted with white, yellow, or brown patches, or are crumbly or flaky, scraping them or painting them over with regular nail polish wont solve your problem. Most of the time, when your toenails look deformed or discolored, you have a fungal infection.

Nail fungus, or onychomycosis, can spread to your feet, too. A fungal infection between your toes or on the soles of your feet is referred to as athletes foot, or tinea pedis.

At Foot and Ankle Excellence in Philadelphia, we know how embarrassing and frustrating onychomycosis can be. Our expert podiatrist, Bruni Leka, DPM, has a few tips for preventing toenail fungus, which accounts for about half of all nail diseases.

Onychomycosis is difficult to resolve, so if you suspect you have a case of it, be sure to get it diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

How Do Dermatologists Diagnose Nail Fungus

To find out if a patient has nail fungus, a dermatologist examines your nails and nearby skin. Its important to check the skin because the fungus can spread. You may already have a skin infection caused by fungus like athletes foot.

To get rid of the infection, you will need to treat all infected areas.

Before giving you the diagnosis, your dermatologist may also take some samples. Collecting a bit of debris from beneath a nail, trimming off part your nail, or scraping off a bit of skin can be very helpful. In a lab, these samples can be examined under a microscope to find out whats causing the problem.

Are you hiding an infected nail with nail polish?

Be sure to ask your dermatologist if you can wear nail polish while treating nail fungus.

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When Home Remedies Make Sense:

For most people with mild to moderate nail fungus, home remedies are an option, especially when a trip to the doctor seems intimidating. Readers of our syndicated newspaper column have been sharing their success stories for over 40 years.

Lisa points out that patience is a critical component for overcoming nasty nail fungus:

I fought toenail fungus for several years. It seemed like I had two different kinds. One made the surface of the nail white and rough, and the other turned the nail yellow or orange. That one also caused the nail to crumble over time.

After reading about it on the Peoples Pharmacy, I tried tea tree oil first. It was very effective on the white toenail fungus. The nails grew out clear and stayed that way.

I tried Vicks next, and it worked on the yellow toenails. That was a slower process, as there was more damage. Several times when I was just getting one nail finished, the fungus would start on another one. It took about three years to get every nail clear, but I have had no new fungus for over a year now. The treatments were inexpensive and easy, but patience is required!

Lisa is absolutely on target. Even pricey prescription nail fungus treatments are tested for about a year. You can read about a pricey prescription anti-fungal liquid at this link:

FDA Approves Jublia for Fighting Nail FungusJublia is a topical liquid for treating nail fungus. How good is Jublia? Not that great. How pricey is Jublia? Very! Is it worth the cost?

Keep The Dermatophytes Away

Onychomycosis is highly contagious and difficult to treat. Prevent a fungal infection by protecting your feet in public or shared spaces. Wear flip-flops or beach sandals in the following spaces:

• Gym
• Sauna
• Steam room

Dermatophytes love warm, moist environments, so be sure to wash your feet daily and towel them dry thoroughly. Also dry your feet including between the toes when you get out of the pool, ocean, or shower.

You can use foot powders on the tops of your toes, in the toe webs, and on your soles to absorb excess moisture. Always wear clean socks and change them at least daily .

Keep your toenails trimmed short and straight. Gently file down sharp edges that could wound your nail bed, making it more susceptible to infection. Make sure you disinfect your nail clippers after each use, and only entrust your toenails to nail salons that disinfect all their tools between customers.

Other tips to reduce your risk of onychomycosis include wearing footwear thats made of breathable, natural materials that give your toes plenty of space. Choose socks made of cotton or a wickable material that keeps them dry.

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What If It Does Happen Again

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, a fungal infection can return. The good news is, you likely know what to look for in your nails by now, and catching it early will most likely mean a much easier and shorter treatment time than your first go.

Our treatments, including Lunula laser therapy, are ready for you when needed. We will be perfectly happy if we never have to use them for you again, however.

If you ever have any questions or suspicions regarding a potential fungal nail infection, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Call our Princeton office at or our Roselle Park office at . You also can consult our free downloadable guide on fungal nails for some more tips!

How Is Athletes Foot Diagnosed

A doctor may diagnose athletes foot by the symptoms. Or, a doctor may order a skin test if they arent sure a fungal infection is causing your symptoms.

A skin lesion potassium hydroxide exam is the most common test for athletes foot. A doctor scrapes off a small area of infected skin and places it in potassium hydroxide. The KOH destroys normal cells and leaves the fungal cells untouched so they are easy to see under a microscope.

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Toenail Fungus Treatment Complications

Here are some things to think about when deciding on a nail fungus treatment.

If you have a disease like diabetes, your doctor will make sure you treat nail fungus. This illness often makes you more likely to have other problems from minor foot issues.

You may not be able to take antifungal pills because of side effects or because they donât work well with other drugs you take. If that’s the case, try a product that goes onto your nail. Your doctor will call this a topical treatment.

Be patient. Your nails may not look “normal” after treatment. It can take as long as a year to 18 months for your nail to grow out a fungus.

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Penetrating The Nail Bed:

As you have correctly pointed out, getting anti-fungal ingredients under the nail is challenging. You cannot lift the nail without causing serious harm. Long soaks though, appear to allow enough penetration to begin the assault on nasty nail fungus.

As our readers above have noted, patience is the critical ingredient. We have found this to be true for ourselves. Reading a book for half an hour or watching television while you soak your tootsies once a day is a great start. But it could take anywhere from six to nine months to see the nails growing out pink and healthy.

How To Get Rid Of Toe Fungus

This article was co-authored by . Dr. Mark Co is a Podiatrist who runs his own private practice in San Francisco, California. Dr. Co specializes in treatments for bunions, ingrown toenails, toenail fungus, warts, plantar fasciitis and other causes of foot pain. He also offers custom orthotics for the treatment and prevention of foot and ankle issues. Dr. Co completed a Master of Business Administration at New York University and an MA in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Co also completed his DPM at the California School of Podiatric Medicine and a residency and internship at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Santa Clara, California. Dr. Co was awarded San Francisco’s “Top 3 Podiatrists” in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Dr. Co is also a member of the CPMA .There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 96% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,481,677 times.

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Ways To Safely Treat Toenail Fungus At Home

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Stocksy/Design by Cristina Cianci

Toenail fungus sounds funky, but believe it or not, its much more common than you think. Thats because the pesky foot issuewhich most often presents as yellowing, cracking, and thickening of the nailscan be caused by everything from slower-growing nails and excessive sweating to athletes foot and walking barefoot in communal areas such as pools, shower rooms, gyms, and the like.

Most infections are caused by tinea species, but can involve harder-to-treat species of dermatophytes,” says Francisco Oliva, DPM. He adds that infections usually occur when theres a combination of issues affecting the toenail. Sometimes there is an injury to the nail at some point, he explains. The effects can be delayed for months and years. Once the fungus invades the nail, the keratin layer of the nail becomes a difficult barrier to penetrate.

Reasons Why You Should Use Hydrogen Peroxide For Your Feet

When you are beginning treatment for your nail fungal infection it is important to consider a few things like is it safe, is it affordable, and does it work?

Here are three reasons you should consider using hydrogen peroxide for fungus:

Reason #1: Its safe.

Hydrogen peroxide is generally safe to be used on the skin for wounds and cuts. In addition, it is safe to use it for nail fungus without any adverse health effects.

Reason #2: Its affordable

The average cost for a 2 pack of Equate 3% Hydrogen Peroxide can be purchased at Walmart for $1.71 which makes it one of the most affordable ways to cure toenail fungus. It equals about $0.03 / fl oz which compared to other treatments like Lamisil which is roughly $15.35 / fl oz. This makes hydrogen peroxide is quite the bargain!

Reason #3: No prescription needed

There is no shortage online of people posting the results of their nails but the best thing is starting this type of treatment is that it can be as simple as opening your medicine cabinet. If not a simply run to the grocery store can be the first step of treating your nail fungus.

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What You Need To Know About Onychomycosis

Onychomycosis is the scientific name for nail fungus. The condition can be caused by a number of things, such as an injury to the nail. A weakened immune system makes it difficult to fight off the fungi. Diabetes also increases the risk of fungal nail infections. These treatments are often painful and require several months of treatment. Usually, the best option for treating nail fungus is to consult a doctor and seek treatment.

One of the first things to do is visit your primary care physician, who can prescribe a prescription for an anti-fungal medication. The medication can be applied to the affected area and is designed to work on the infected area. However, it is recommended that people with a serious infection consult a medical practitioner before starting the treatment. Topical medications require daily application and can affect other medical conditions. The best treatment is a combination of oral and topical medications.

If you have a fungal infection, you must avoid wearing shoes or socks. While you should not walk while wearing shoes, you should avoid using artificial nails. If your toe is impacted, it is important to have your nail trimmed straight across. If possible, wear comfortable socks and change your shoes in public places. A doctor will often send the clippings to a lab for identification. Changing your socks and wearing sneakers is also recommended.

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The Reliable Toenail Fungus Treatment Does It Ever Go Away

• James
• Tuesday, May 4, 2021, 9 months ago

Toenail fungus is one of the most annoying health complications we all get to experience. It is not a painful experience but most of us do not want to go out with stained toenails. Even though it has no severe harmful effects, still a lot of people do not want to have it. This embarrassment of having the damaged and eaten up toenails make people try some remedies, but not all remedies are effective.

If you are thinking of trying the home remedies to treat the toenail fungus then be ready to wait for almost six months. Home remedies are not very effective and fast to show results. You must wait and stay consistent to apply the same treatment for ages.

If you have never experienced the toenail fungus ever and want to know which treatments are available for the effective removal of the toenail fungus, then keep on reading. Some treatments are bang for bucks, but a few can cost you a lot of money to treat the toenail fungus.

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