Fungal toenails aren’t a serious health threat, but they can be embarrassing. A few simple preventive measures can help.
Fungus can be treated with prescription topical products like efinaconazole (Jublia), tavaborole (Kerydin) and ciclopirox (Penlac). But results take time. And they may not work for everyone. A nail scraping must be sent to a lab for a definitive diagnosis before medication can begin.
Keep Your Feet Clean and Dry
The warm and moist environment of your feet creates an ideal environment for fungal infections. It’s especially important to keep your feet clean and dry to prevent these infections, particularly during the summer when fungus thrives. Fungi spread easily through direct contact or by sharing personal items like shoes, socks, and nail clippers. The good news is that foot fungus can be prevented with simple preventative measures and a commitment to maintaining healthy feet.
To prevent a toenail fungal infection, it’s essential to keep your nails short and straight, so that debris isn’t trapped under the nail. You should also wear shoes that fit well, and choose ones made from breathable materials like leather. If you must wear sweaty shoes, consider wearing flip-flops in the shower or in public areas such as locker rooms and gyms, to avoid contact with fungus. You should also wash your feet daily, and remember to dry thoroughly, particularly between your toes.
In addition to practicing good foot hygiene, there are several at-home remedies that can help prevent or treat fungal toenails. Many things can cause a discolored or thickened nail, so it’s important to see your doctor as soon as you notice that something is wrong. A quick lab test of a sample from your nail can confirm whether or not you have a fungus, and can help determine the best treatment for you.
Home treatments for a toenail fungal infection often include a combination of antifungal nail polish and oral prescription medication. The most effective products contain ciclopirox (Penlac), efinaconazole, or tavaborole. These products are typically applied to the nail surface and take a while to be fully effective.
Other over-the-counter products that may help are Listerine mouthwash, which contains thymol, and snakeroot extract, a natural fungicide from a plant in the sunflower family. However, these products have not been clinically tested for effectiveness and should be used only as directed.
Toenail fungus can be very difficult to treat. It can take up to a year for the fungus to clear completely, and even then it may recur. That’s why it’s so important to see your podiatrist as soon as you suspect you have a fungus, and to follow their instructions for keeping your feet clean and dry.
Trim Your Toenails Regularly
A toenail fungal infection, also known as onychomycosis, is an unsightly fungus that can make your nails thick, brittle and ragged. It can be hard to get rid of, but you can take steps to prevent it from recurring.
A fungal nail infection starts when a microscopic fungus invades the nail and grows in the warm, moist environment under your nails. It’s most common to develop a toenail fungal infection in the summer when you may wear open-toed shoes more often. You’re also more likely to pick up a fungal infection if you walk barefoot in public areas like showers or locker rooms, have a foot injury that exposes the toes or have poor circulation in your feet. If you have diabetes or a health condition that affects your feet’s ability to heal, you’re at an even higher risk of developing a toenail fungal infection.
The best way to prevent toenail fungus is to trim your nails regularly. You should aim to cut them every 4 to 6 weeks and leave a small amount of nail above the skin. Do not cut your toenails too short, as this can lead to painful ingrown toenails. Instead, trim them straight across and then use an emery board or nail file to smooth any rough edges that could hurt your feet.
You should also avoid sharing nail trimmers or files with other people and always wear flip flops when you go to a nail salon. Taking an antifungal soak in a solution of one part vinegar or Listerine mouthwash to a quart of water is also effective at reducing the spread of toenail fungus, as is rubbing Vick’s VapoRub on the affected toes.
You can also ask your doctor to prescribe an antifungal medication that you paint on your toenails. It’s usually a colorless polish that contains an antifungal drug called ciclopirox. Your doctor will give you instructions about how often to apply the medication. You’ll also have to be patient, as it can take a while for your nails to clear up. You can also try a home nail treatment, but these treatments typically don’t work as well as prescription medications and are not covered by insurance.
Wear Shoes That Breathe
Toenail fungus thrives in damp, dark places like shoes and socks. Wearing open-toe shoes that allow your feet to breath can help prevent fungus and fungal infections from developing, especially if you rotate the shoes you wear so they get a chance to air out between uses. Wearing breathable footwear is also important if you are prone to sweating or have chronic conditions that make you more susceptible to infections.
Don’t wait until you see white markings on your toenails or notice that the nails are ragged and raised off of the nail bed. Many conditions can cause these symptoms and they may not be indicative of a fungal infection. A podiatric physician can examine your toenails and take a scraping of the nail to determine the cause of the infection. Then, the doctor can provide you with a treatment plan that may include prescription topical or oral medication or laser therapy.
If you have a toenail fungus, don’t stop using your antifungal medications until the toenail is clear. Fungus is persistent, and it can take a long time for toenails to fully return to normal.
There are a number of at-home remedies that have helped some people manage toenail fungus, but most of them treat the symptoms and do not address the underlying fungus. Many of these home remedies require a prolonged commitment and are best paired with prescription medication for faster results.
One of the most popular home remedies is to soak your feet in a solution of vinegar or Listerine antiseptic mouthwash (one part vinegar to one part water). Some people have also found that applying Vick’s VapoRub to their toenails daily has been helpful. If you decide to try these or other home treatments, remember that nothing kills toenail fungus right away, and it can take anywhere from 6 months to 18 months for the fungus to completely clear up. Don’t give up! Keep taking your medications until your toenails are healthy again. In some cases, your doctor may recommend the GenesisPlus laser treatment. This treatment is FDA-approved and involves passing a laser light through the toenail to destroy the fungus. The treatment is painless and there are no side effects from this procedure.
See Your Podiatrist
As we all know, fungal infections can be painful. But the first sign of an issue is usually a change in the color or thickness of the nail, and often that’s what prompts people to seek treatment. And while over-the-counter treatments may temporarily suppress mild symptoms, the best way to prevent a fungus is to see your podiatrist.
Fungus spreads through spores that are present in warm, moist environments. So, it’s no wonder that people who frequent public showers, swimming pools, locker rooms and other damp spaces are more likely to develop a fungal nail infection.
It’s also important to note that fungus can hide in other conditions and injuries, so it’s essential to see a podiatrist as soon as you notice any discoloration or thickening of the nails. A trained professional can take a sample of the affected nail, test it for the presence of fungi and then prescribe a treatment plan.
In some cases, your doctor will prescribe an antifungal cream or gel that you can apply directly to the affected nail. The products will contain medications such as ciclopirox (Penlac), efinaconazole (Jublia) or tavaborole (Kerydin). They work by absorbing the fungus, killing it and preventing it from spreading to other nails. However, they may not be able to penetrate the hard outer layer of the nail or get into the softer, more delicate area underneath.
The other option is to have your podiatrist paint a medication that looks like a clear nail polish onto your affected nail. The product will actually be a prescription-strength medicine such as ciclopirox or niacinamide. You will need to follow the doctor’s instructions for how often you need to use it, as well as how long you need to leave it on.
A toenail fungal infection can cause pain, itching and a loss of the nail’s natural appearance. It is also contagious and can affect your overall health. But there are many ways to help prevent the development of a fungus, starting with basic good foot hygiene. Be sure to wash your feet daily, including between the toes, and always dry them thoroughly. Wear shoes that allow your feet to breath, and make sure you switch out your socks frequently. When it comes to trimming your nails, be sure to use sanitized clippers and cut them straight across.
