The 7 Best Toenail Fungus Treatments Of 2022
The Lamisil Terbinafine Antifungal Cream treats fungus all over the body
Sarah is a freelance writer with a focus on health and wellness. She has written for publications like Women’s Health, Healthline, and Parents. She taught creative writing for five years, and has a bachelor’s degree in English from Southern Connecticut State University.
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Toenail fungus is a common fungal condition that often starts after a rash on the foot spreads to the nails. When mild, it looks like white and yellow spots growing under the nail beds. If left untreated, the fungus can grow severely by hardening the nails and spreading to other toes.
How Is Toenail Fungus Treated
Toenail fungus is notoriously tricky to treat. You may need to treat tinea unguium for several months to get rid of the fungus. Still, toenail fungus often comes back.
A skin specialist or foot doctor can explain your treatment options. If you have a mild case that doesnt bother you, your healthcare provider may recommend no treatment.
Tinea unguium treatment options include:
Oral antifungal medication
You can take a prescribed oral antifungal medication to treat the fungus. Options include terbinafine , itraconazole or fluconazole . Youll need to take the medication every day for several months . Your healthcare provider may use blood tests to check for potential medication side effects. These medications can affect your liver and interact with other medications, so oral antifungals arent for everyone.
Topical medication
You can regularly apply a topical medication right onto your nail. The medication treats the fungus over time. Topical medications are most effective when paired with oral medications.
Laser treatments
Your healthcare provider will direct a high-tech laser beam and special lights at your toenail to treat the fungus. Lasers are U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for temporary increase of clear nail in nail fungus, but theyre not a cure. Cure rates for laser treatment are lower than oral and topical mediations. Your healthcare provider wont typically use lasers as first-line treatments for nail fungus.
Top Consumers Choice: Keravita Pro
There is a reason why many Keravita Pro is the first product doctors recommend when having a fungal infection.
It is an incredible supplement that improves the hair and nails and the skin, liver, kidneys, and heart.
Keravita Pros formula is based solely on natural ingredients which work to get the fungus permanently removed.
The reason why this is ranked as the best product is that it is designed to work fast. Many of its consumers notice results in the first few weeks after starting. To see full results, you have to take Keravita Pro for at least six months.
This toenail fungus treatment is not just for fungal infections.
You can take it if you happen to have damaged and weakened hair, wrinkles, and skin discoloration due to age and toxin buildup in your liver and kidneys.
This product comes first in line when your doctor prescribes fungus medication to you. And that is for a reason.
Ingredients
How does it work?
Keravita Pro capsules work the moment theyre taken.
Once they enter the bloodstream, they begin to destroy any pathogens in the blood that cause the infection. The nutrients from the capsules
Then, the supplements enter the second stage, also known as the Blood Purification stage. The continuous intake of them cleans the rest of the bloodstream and stays free of any other germs.
The third stage enables you to develop strong immunity against future infections. This stage is known by the name Antifungal Stage.
Pros
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Hydrogen Peroxide For Nail Fungus
Hydrogen peroxide is a known treatment for nail fungus.
However, we still do not know what the scientific evidence for it are, as no scientific research proves it. It is still a matter of debate.
What is so far known of the Hydrogen peroxide as a treatment for nail fungus is the developing of Hypochlorous acid which is an effective way to kill nail fungus.
The Hydrogen peroxide is an extremely active, why many people use Hydrogen peroxide as a treatment for nail fungus is the affordability.
It is available almost at every place, moreover they do not need a prescription for this.
How to use Hydrogen peroxide for nail fungus?
- Apply it directly with a Q-tip. Take a little of Hydrogen peroxide and dip a Q- tip in it, apply it on the infected area only.
- Try the breathing foot soak method. All you have to do is take almost 2 to 3 percent of hydrogen per oxide with water. Put your foot in it and press the infected area for almost 2 minutes and release, repeat this process several times for 15 minutes.
- Use it with baking soda, you can either make a paste of baking soda and Hydrogen peroxide or make a foot soak. Whichever is more convenient. Th easier one is the paste, but it is for the extreme cases, if it is the onset of the infection you can try making the foot soak.
Pros of using Hydrogen peroxide as a home remedy for nail fungus
Cons of Hydrogen peroxide as a remedy for nail fungus
- It is not skin friendly.
- Not approved by any doctor specifically for toenail fungus.
Immune Booster For Stopping Fungal Growth: Triple Fungus Blast
This is yet another antifungal drug that treats the affected nail and boosts the immunity of the epidermis.
Many people get tenacious nail and toenail infections during the summer. Sharing nail clippers, locker rooms, and swimming pools are the most common epicenters of disease.
And, if you happen to have low immunity, this might be the end of you.
This supplement works better than generic antifungal creams.
It cures the infected nail, the toenails, and the surrounding skin from a toenail fungal infection.
But that isnt all. This supplement set works by improving gut health and reducing inflammation throughout the body.
Thanks to this product, you will never have to go to late-night visits to the doctor.
Ingredients
How does it work?
The key to this product is its formula. Only natural ingredients are included in this blend. Theyre carefully selected so that they work their way through the body and treat the nail infection.
This product is excellent because the nutrients treat the inflammation in a period from six weeks to a few months. I mean, can you find a better cure?
Your doctor might recommend you this supplement if the other topical creams dont work.
No wonder this product is one of the best sellers.
You only have to take two capsules a day.
The nail treatment might be gradual and take some time, but its worth it.
Pros
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Toenail Fungus Supplements Faqs
Here are some common FAQs about toenail fungus supplements:
Q: Is it necessary to get surgery after contracting toenail fungus?
A: You might need it or not it all depends on the advice given by your doctorall in all, that is not the only option for treating toenail fungus. Many non-invasive remedies like taking pills, applying oil and cream supplements, or even laser treatment could also help you out.
Q: Where can one get a toenail fungus infection?
A: Nail fungus is a common health condition that can affect anyone. Typically, living in humid and hot climatic regions increases the likelihood of getting toenail fungus. Also, walking barefooted or swimming in public pools puts you at risk.
Q: How do I identify a fungus infection?
A: Toenail fungal infections symptoms can vary. However, in most cases, patients tend to have crumbled or thickened nails accompanied by yellow-brown or whitish discolorations. Moreover, you may also notice that your nails are becoming increasingly crumbly or brittle.
Q: Is it okay to apply nail polish on a fungus-infected toenail?
A: No, because toenail fungus infection is not a cosmetic issue. Applying nail polish will only cover the ugly discoloration. In addition, nail polish creates a dark and moist environment around the nail. This then creates a conducive environment for fungus to thrive. As the infection grows, it might spread to other toenails.
Q: What are some of the remedies for preventing fungal infections from recurring?
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.
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Touching Your Feet Unnecessarily
In some rare cases, it has been noticed that the toenail fungus also reached the nails of the hands. The main cause for such an unfortunate event is constantly touching the toenails.
If you feel that you have been infected with the toenail fungus, then you should not touch the toenail again and again. It will gradually reach to your fingernails, and you can develop fungus on the fingernails as well.
You should always clean your hands with sanitizer, or wash it with soap once you have touched the toenail.
Sometimes, people think enough to clean their toenails before applying anything, it is not enough. You need to wash your hands, no matter if your toenails are clean, clean toenails does not mean that the fungus is gone. It is still there, and can spread on your other body part.
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:
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.
Antifungal pills, however, can cause side effects. Your dermatologist will watch you closely. Youll also need to have blood tests every month to check for problems.
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How Can You Prevent Fungal Nail Infections
Fungal infections can easily be prevented, you just have to know what to do.
The NHS has some handy hints as to how you can avoid these painful infections, such as:
- Treat Athlete’s foot promptly in order to stop it from spreading to your nails.
- Keep your feet clean and dry as much as possible.
- Wear clean socks each day and avoid rewearing old ones.
- Throw out shoes when theyre looking a little worse for wear.
- Wear flip flops in public showers and pools in order to prevent picking them up from someone else.
- Avoid sharing towels with others.
- Never share nail clippers or files.
Best Toenail Fungus Treatments
If you are suffering from toenail fungus, then you will already know how difficult this problem can be to get rid of. On this page we are going to give you some of the best home toenail fungus treatments that you can try, and this will be your best course of action before you go to more drastic measures.
The first thing that you need to work out is if you do actually have a toenail fungus infection. You can read our article that will tell you how to spot toenail fungus.
If you are not sure whether you have toenail fungus, make sure that you read this article first because it will help you work out what is going on.
If you already know that you have a toenail fungus infection, then here are the best treatments that you can try at home and an idea as to how long they will take to work. If you are worried about your toenail fungus infection going away, have a read of this article and it should set your mind at rest.
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A Pharmacist Can Help With Fungal Nail Infections
Speak to a pharmacist if the look of your nail bothers you or it’s painful.
They may suggest:
- antifungal nail cream it can take up to 12 months to cure the infection and does not always work
- nail-softening cream it’s used for 2 weeks to soften the nail so the infected part can be scraped off
The infection is cured when you see healthy nail growing back at the base.
Why Does Toenail Fungus Spread
Keeping in view the spread of toenail fungus, one might get curious about how this small living organism can spread that fast, and can infect almost every human being.
There are two things that play a crucial role in it. These two factors are the main reason why toenail fungus is very contagious. The worst part is, it can still stay contagious even when the sufferer feels that the toenail has been cured, still it can spread. Does it sound creepy? Yes, it is.
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Which Prescription Products Treat Nail Fungus
The best products for nail fungus are prescription medicines you take by mouth or topical liquid medicines you apply to the nail.
Prescription medicines commonly used to treat nail fungus include oral and topical treatments, such as:
- topical efinaconazole
- topical ciclopirox
- oral terbinafine
- oral itraconazole
Oral antifungal medicines tend to work better than topical ones, but are associated with greater side effects and drug interactions. In some cases, your doctor may decide to combine treatments, or use laser or photodynamic therapy. Speak with your podiatrist about these techniques.
In the most severe cases, your doctor may recommend you have surgery to remove part or all of the nail.
Treating Fungal Toenails With Laser Therapy
We are proud to provide FDA-approved laser treatment as an option for getting rid of toenail fungus. This newer technology possesses a couple of distinct advantages over more traditional topical and oral anti-fungal medications:
- It tends to be more effective. Higher overall cure rates tend to be achieved with laser therapy, due to its ability to reach directly where toenail fungus is hiding within the nail. Topical treatments are not always able to reach so effectively, even when the nail is filed down for better contact.
- There is no known risk of side effects. While oral antifungal medications can be effective at attacking fungus from the inside, they can cause side effects in some patients. Of particular concern can be effects on the liver, making oral medication an unlikely recommendation for anyone with a history of liver problems. Laser therapy does not carry these potential risks.
This is not to say that we would ever fully discount the potential use of topical or oral medications if needed. There are certain circumstances when we might recommend it over laser therapy. In some severe cases, we might recommend medication alongside the use of a laser. In general, however, we prefer laser treatment as a first choice and foundation.
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The Most Common Types Of Nail Fungus
The most common type of nail fungus is known as distal subungual onychomycosis, and is caused by a fungi known as a dermatophyte, says Dr. Chen. It can show up on fingernails or toenails, and manifests as a yellow-ish area on the nail that can ultimately lead to splitting, crumbling, or even separation of the nail from the skin as it gets worse, she says. It’s also worth noting that this is the same fungi that causes athlete’s foot, a fungal infection that can spread from the skin to the nail, adds Dr. Stern.
White superficial onychomycosis is the second most common it leads to white spots on the surface of the nail, which can ultimately spread to resemble a white chalky powder covering the entire nail, says Chen.
Home Treatments For Toe Nail Fungus: #
Before we get into some of the most popular home remedies for toenail fungus you should know that you have to keep up treatment to be successful. Toenail fungus can be notoriously difficult to get rid of and if you have an early stage of this then it may well respond to home treatments but can take a while. You will normally find that it can take a few months to even see an improvement with the condition and even when treated it may come back again.
So, try these out for a good six months before making a conclusion that they do not work, also if during that time you run into any problems, or it gets worse then you should seek medical professional assistance.
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