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In this section you will find articles and videos on nail fungus and nail fungus treatments. Feel free to search for a subject concerning you or just browse around. We have amassed the largest informational database on nail fungus online and are here to help…

The Ins and Outs of Treating Fingernail Fungus Infection

Our nails are mad of keratin, which is similar in structure to bone but not the same. It works to protect parts of the skin and tends to be a telltale indicator for signs of internal problems.

Most people are familiar with toenail fungus infections. A lot of people have them and they are caused by the fact that toes tend to spend a lot of time in dark, damp environments and come into contact with a lot of things that may be carriers for fungal spores. However fingernails can also become infected by fungus. The first sign of infection is usually the nail becoming discolored and then thickening, especially along the tips. This looks very unpleasant and is an embarrassment to people who suffer from it. Avoid painting your nails with fingernail polish if this occurs as the polish will seal in humidity and give the fungus a better breeding environment. Deciding that the problem “will go away on its own” is also a bad idea. Treating this fungus is the smartest thing you can do.

Nail Fungus Treatments

There are several available treatments for nail fungus, some of which include taking oral antifungal medications. Many people try to avoid this as some of these medications have rather harsh side effects. Antifungal solutions and ointments are available over the counter and are comparatively well priced. Several of these are alternative remedies that use natural oils with antifungal properties

The most popular and effective nail fungus treatment is ClearFungus. This is a combination of essential oils to both kill the fungus and help heal and moisturize the surrounding skin. No side effects have been reported during use of this natural medication.

Some important maintenance tips to encourage the healing process if you have a nail fungus infection:

• Keep a strict regimen of applying the antifungal solution to the infected nail(s)
• Maintain good hygiene, even if it means changing your regular habits
• Wash your hands regularly and use soap. Scrub your nails with a nail brush to remove any dirt that gets underneath or into the ridges of the nail
• Avoid using your nails as tools to open or unscrew anything as this can abrade the nail and allow the microorganisms that cause the fungal growth to bury themselves further in your nail and nail bed
• If you choose to go to a salon to get a manicure or pedicure, then make sure your chosen salon washes and sterilizes its equipment so you reduce the risk of contracting infection
• Don’t wear nail polish to cover up the embarrassment of having a fungal infection. The polish will hold moisture inside the nail and nail bed, encouraging fungal growth and further damage to the area.
• Use, and don’t share your own nail maintenance tools, like clippers, file, cuticle stick, etc. as this lowers the chance of contracting a fungal infection
• Wash your hands and feet regularly and dry them thoroughly.
• Catching and treating a nail fungus infection early on will avoid problems in the future. Having the antifungal solution available is the best safety tip.
• Use gloves when dealing with chemicals to avoid exposing your fingernails to futher damage

If you find that the infection persists, seek advice from your medical professional as there may be other symptoms and problems that linger unseen in your body that should be addressed.

The Beer Soak Method – A Homeopathic remedy

for nail fungus. How to do it and why it works.

The strange yellow color that you see on your finger and toenails is not only unattractive but possibly harmful. This is caused by a fungus that lives just along the nail bed and beneath the nail itself. It is not uncommon for affected nails to become rough and thick, along with the yellowing that has already been spoken of. So if you don’t wish to take a prescription medication as recommended by a doctor, what do you do? Fortunately there is another option for folks who prefer the homeopathic approach to medicine.

By combining dark beer, more commonly known as Stout, white vinegar, and acidophilus, a medicinal soak can be created to immerse the affected nails in. Acidophilus, a helpful bacteria, combined with the alcohol in the beer, work together to create an environment that is not conducive to the continued growth of the nail fungus.

So what is it about this mixture that makes it work to cure nail fungus problems?

By combining the vinegar and acidophilus, you are creating a negative climate for the nail fungus. High acidity environments kill off unproductive bacteria like fungus, while still allowing productive bacteria, like acidophilus to thrive and encourage their pro-biotic tendencies to help fight off infection. The alcohol in the beer works to soften the tissue around the nail as well as the nail itself, thus allowing the acidic environment to permeate (enter) the nail in order to do its job.

Nail Fungus Soak Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tub or bowl large enough to soak the affected area (your feet or hands)
• 4 cups white vinegar
• 2 pints of Stout – Many beer companies make a stout or dark beer. Guinness is the most well known.
• 1 sachet of acidophilus – the standard sachet potency is 125 billion organisms.
• Nail File* Use once a week

Directions

Please note: Once you have made this mixture, the same batch can be used repeatedly for up to 48 hours. Don’t throw it out right away.

Mix the vinegar, stout and acidophilus in the soaking tub.

Soak the affected area (infected nails on your hands or feet) for 30 minutes.

After you have soaked the affected area for 30 minutes, remove your hands or feet from the mixture and wash the affected area with warm water and soap. Pat dry.

Repeat these directions twice a day for between 3 to 6 months, until the affected area clears up.

*Once a week: Immediately after removing your hands or feet from the mixture, (before washing with warm water and soap) Use a nail file to file the affected nails down, to expose new nail.  Return the affected area to the mixture for an additional 30 minutes so that the newly exposed nail is able to receive the medicinal properties of the mixture, inhibiting the further growth of the fungus.

Some users may find that the area around their nails is sensitive to the soaking mixture. If this is the case, then reduce the frequency of treatment from twice a day to once a day.

This treatment should start to show efficacy within one week to one month, depending on the individual and the severity of the fungal infection. The treatment is most effective if strictly adhered to instead of missing regular treatments. Once the fungus starts to clear up, the nail in the affected areas will start to grow back strong and clear. As you trim your nails, cutting away the infected nail as you cure it, your nails will grow in healthy behind the damaged area. There should be no more yellowing or thickness in the healthy nail.

It takes about 12 weeks for the nail to grow in fully and replace itself from infected to unaffected area.

Removing All of or a Portion of Your Nail

to Treat Nail Fungus – Is it Effective?

No one really knows. Little to no research has been done on removing all or part of the nail to treat a nail fungus infection. That’s because it’s sort of a last resort treatment for dealing with onychomycosis. However if you are unable to take any of the oral medications suggested for treating onychomycosis and if none of the topical solutions are effective, or if you have tried treating your nail fungus in several ways and none of them have been effective, then surgery may be an option.

Another thing to consider is if you continue to experience recurring nail fungus infections, you might need to make some dietary changes and/or do a medical cleanse to get the possible sources of infection out of your system.

How does it work?

Your options for having your nail removed are as follows:

• Complete removal – known as avulsion
• Partial removal – known as debridement

There are also two options for having these procedures done:

• Surgery – Your doctor will numb the skin around and under your nail with a local anesthetic, either topical or a shot. Then a tool will be used to separate your nail from the surrounding skin and nail bed. (Your nail bed is the skin underneath your nail. This is most commonly where a nail fungus hides and breeds.) Once the nail has been removed your nail bed and surrounding skin should heal in 2-3 weeks.
• Ointment – Your doctor will cover the skin around your infected nail to protect it (similar to taping a window or door while painting.) Then an ointment will be put on the infected nail. The infected nail is covered with a plastic dressing, which will need to be kept dry. After a week to a week and a half, your nail should be soft enough to be removed by your doctor. The exposed nail bed and surrounding skin should heal in 2-3 weeks.

After you have undergone either of these procedures, your doctor will probably recommend taking an oral antifungal medication, or putting a topical ointment on the exposed nail bed to deliver the medicine directly to the affected area.

A fingernail, once the infected portion is removed should grow back healthy within about 6 months. A toenail may take up to 18 months to grow back.

If infection continues after this procedure, your doctor may recommend completely removing the nail again and putting a chemical on the cuticle (the soft layer of skin at the base of your nail) to prevent your nail from growing back.

Does it help?

Again, no one really knows as no one has put the time and research into the effects of removing part or all of the nail to cure onychomycosis.

So far, there is one reliable study that compared taking oral antifungal medication against other types of treatment, including removing part of the nail and putting a topical antifungal medication directly on the nail bed. The results were that people who chose the oral antifungal medication were happier with their treatment outcome than people who had part of their nail removed or who used any sort of topical remedy.

Possible Side Effects?

Once your nail has been removed from the nail bed, you will need to keep it clean and dry to prevent possible further infection of the area. Your doctor may also recommend using an antibiotic cream to ensure that everything heals well and stays healthy.

Another possible problem is that the side or corner of your nail could re-grow into the skin surrounding your toe. This is referred to as an ingrown toe nail. Mild symptoms of an ingrown toenail can be treated by soaking your foot in warm salt water and then propping the ingrown porting of your toenail to encourage it to grow above the skin. A more severe ingrown toenail will require you to return to your doctor for treatment.

How Can I Permanently Cure My Toenail Fungus?

Doctors tend to shy away from the word “cure” when referring to toenail fungus because it is not an easy thing to do. We have become a very busy society that believes popping a pill will take care of everything. Unfortunately that is not the case with toenail fungus. Onychomycosis, the medical term for toenail fungus is hard to cure because the treatment regimen is very long and can be quite involved. Most kinds of fungus are able to lie dormant for a long period so people will go through treatment and get positive results, only to find that the infection returns. Curing toenail fungus permanently is a possibility, it just take work and patience.

Several factors must be taken into account when examining your chances of curing toenail fungus. First is how far along your toenail fungal infection is. If you can catch it early, you stand a better chance of eliminating it entirely. As a fungal infection progresses, it goes from the skin surrounding the toenail into and under the toenail, where it becomes much harder to eradicate. Second is your own level of commitment. Treating toenail fungus is much more involved than just taking a pill. The idea is to create a hostile environment for the fungus so that they die off. This may involve washing your feet several times a day with a special soap and then donning clean socks each time. Yes, this is a lot of work (and extra laundry) but if you wish to control and end the toenail fungal infection, you will need to follow all of your doctor’s instructions as well as educate yourself on how to avoid recurrence.

The most unfortunate part about curing toenail fungus is that the statistics are so out of whack on actual success because so many people get frustrated part way through their cure and give up, or they miss a day or two and get pushed back by two weeks. This negates the outcome of the studies that have been done, or at least makes the conclusion “unknown”.  If you are going to treat your toenail fungus, you need to address all of the problems and be willing to put in the time and effort it will take to achieve a successful result.

Oral prescription medication

If you and your doctor decide that the oral prescription medication is the way to go, ask about helping the process along by using a natural topical antifungal like Tea Tree Oil as part of your healing regimen. Giving your body help from both the inside and the outside can work in your favor. The goal behind combining your efforts is to permanently eradicate the fungi living off of you. This combination of efforts will take effort on your part in maintaining a healthy for you/not healthy for the fungus environment.

The biggest barrier to a cure for toenail fungus for most people is the amount of time and work that go into treatment of this disease. Washing your feet and applying medication 2-3 times a day as well as doing extra laundry to make sure your socks are clean and finding shoes that allow your feet to breath will become stressful. You must remember that missing one day of treatment will undo the last four you worked so hard on as it only takes the fungus one day to re-establish themselves. If you can stick to the program, with the help of your doctor, you can permanently end your toenail fungus problem.

Penlac – Is it a Good Solution for Nail Fungus Infection?

People who spend a great deal of time disguising or hiding their nails from the outside world because of fungal nail infection should really consider treatment for their problem. How wonderful it would be to live free of the unsightly yellowing or white and brown spots that develop on the nail, turning it brittle and making it crumble. Fortunately there are solutions created by modern medicine.

Penlac – An Antifungal Prescription Medication

Ciclopirox, known by its commercial name as Penlac, is a paint on nail medication. It is applied just like you would apply a nail polish and it comes in a little glass bottle with its own applicator. This is a prescription medication, so it does require a visit to your doctor to be used.

Keeping in contact with your doctor while using Penlac is necessary as this will help with monitoring the treatment. Don’t file or clip your nail during the treatment regimen because this can possibly spread the infection to other nails. Penlac needs to be applied every day for effective results. Rinsing the applicator brush once a week in rubbing alcohol will also prevent the spread of infection.

You should see a change fairly quickly, even within a few days, as the Penlac takes effect. One of the nice things about using a topical medication is that the medicine goes directly to the infected area instead of having to build up in the system, as is the case of an oral medication. Penlac, as a topical medication, doesn’t come with the risks that the oral antifungal medications do, such as potential liver damage.

The only known side effect of Penlac is possible irritation to the skin surrounding the nail. If you are already at the point in the nail fungus infection where you are experiencing pain, it is unlikely that you will notice and the medicine will quickly take effect. Penlac has the advantage of being a very low risk medication that delivers fast and strong results.

Is There Anything my Doctor Should Know Before Prescribing Penlac?

If you have any of the following conditions, tell your doctor before agreeing to take Penlac, or if these things occur during your treatment with Penlac.

• If you are currently pregnant, become pregnant, or are breastfeeding
• If you have poor circulation, or PAD
• If you have a history of seizures
• If you have or will receive an organ transplant
• If you have been burned or if you are being treated for burns
• If you have HIV/AIDS

If you miss a dose of Penlac, apply it as soon as you remember and are able. However you should avoid using more than the directed dosage during a 24 hour period. Contact your doctor or Poison Control if you accidentally overdose.

Penlac is a great solution to the nail fungus infection problem as it lowers the potential side effect risk considerably. As with all treatments, keep your doctor appraised of any changes that occur and contact your doctor if you experience negative effects. Always remember, your health is under your own control.