Home Remedies to Try for Fungal Toenails

The sight of progressive thickening, discoloration and crumbling of toenails are commonly associated with a fungal infection; And while some may choose not to treat, others are motivated by the presentation or even pain associated with it. Fungal infections are simply caused following exposure of fungi organisms; this exposure is commonly from skin to skin contact, surfaces (swimming pools, communal showers etc)  or tools (toenail nippers). However whether that exposure leads to an infection is dependent on a number of factors such as age, comorbidities, level of exposure and family history. So what should you do if you suspect a toenail infection and wish to treat it? The obvious answer is to see your podiatrist, we can test the nail to confirm fungus and recommend various options (oral therapy, topical prescriptions Laser etc). However if you’re not quite ready to expose those talons to the world yet, you may want to consider your home solutions first. Here are my recommendations for the steps required to provide the best chance of getting rid of that fungus.  

What you need to know before treating:

When treating nail fungus, there are two main issues that I tell my patients before starting medications;

1. Nail fungus is very difficult to fully eradicate (with any treatment), this means if your nail is completely clear of fungus following treatment it may still come back.

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2. Nail treatments commonly do not treat the current nail but rather the new nail coming through. As a result it is not uncommon to have to wait in excess of 3 months to see any significant changes – I mention this because many patients will try a medication for 2-3 weeks, see no results and give up.

1. Treat the whole foot (5 Step Guide):

So, as said, treating nail fungus is very difficult, however to get the best possible results it’s important to treat the whole foot and not just the toenail. These are the initial steps I recommend you take.

1. Athletes foot: Often nail fungus is caused by the transfer of fungus from the skin (athletes foot), unless we also treat the skin then the nails are always exposed to the fungus.

2. Old Shoes: Fungus loves dark, moist areas and so loves to proliferate in olds shoes. If your current shoes have seen better days, I recommend you replace them.

3. New shoes: Now that you have new shoes, you now need to control the build up of fungus: I recommend you spray the inside of these shoes with one of the following at least once a month: Dr. Scholl’s Odor-X Antifungal Spray Powder, Tide Antibacterial Fabric Spray, or Lysol Fabric Disinfectant Spray.

4. Insoles: For those that want to do everything possible, you may also want to consider replacing the insoles with Dr. Scholl’s Odor-X, Odor Fighting Insoles. These contain activated charcoal which has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties as well as baking soda to absorb sweat and moisture away from the feet.

5. Socks: Just like shoes: socks can retain moisture and thus increase the fungal exposure. Replacing socks half way through the day is encouraged especially if you anticipate being on your feet all day or in an environment that increases your feet to sweat (working outside in boots for example). You may also want to use socks that remove moisture from the feet. Kodal Copper Infused Crew Socks are copper infused crew socks designed to keep your feet dry and comfortable by wicking away moisture and preventing sweat buildup.

2. Prep the Toenail (3 Step Guide):

With the foot taken care of, it’s time to treat the nail, for best results however, it is important to first prep the affected toenail ready for application of the antifungal medication. Here are my steps on how to do this:

1. Trim the nail: Decreasing the fungal burden by trimming the nail will potentially increase the efficacy of the antifungal medication: Its is important however that you use clean nail nippers in order that you know re-infect the nail; Clean the nippers by soaking your clippers in dish soap and water for a couple minutes, dry them, and wipe them down with 70% or 90% rubbing alcohol (McKesson 70% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol)

2. Clean the nails: Firstly it is best practice to clean the nail before applying any topical ointments. This can be done easily with antifungal soap (Antifungal Antibacterial Soap & Body Wash) and water followed by use of an alcohol swab. You want to make sure you wipe the whole nail and its skin borders lightly with the swab and allow it to air dry (1-2 minutes).

3. The biggest issue with topical antifungals is getting the product to the fungus that exists on the nail bed and in between the layers of nail formed. The permeability of the nail is greatly enhanced by prepping the nail with a urea ointment. I recommend Urea Nail Gel, Hard Nail Softener. The high urea content (40%) will soften the nail help the antifungal medication absorb well into the nail.

3. Use an Over the Counter Antifungal Medication:

Finally it’s time to treat the nail with an antifungal medication. Again these are my recommendations for your over the counter options. There are many other options that your podiatrist may recommend or prescribe, but if you are looking to try something as an initial treatment, these are the ones I would try. The list is limited to only two as I have focused on only those that contain an active antifungal ingredient that have shown to be effective.

Funginix

The problem with any topical product is getting it to the fungus in the first place. This US made product acts by absorbing into the skin around each infected nail essentially utilizing a transdermal pathway to get underneath the nail and thus to the fungus. Its active ingredient is Undecyclic Acid (10%), a US FDA approved medication that prevents the growth of fungus.

Dermatool

This is a fast drying, non staining clear liquid with a light pleasant scent. In addition to its active ingredient, this product utilizes a combination of natural products including Tea tree oil, Thyme, Eucalyptol, Oregano and Vitamin E (among others) that in themselves have purported anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties as well increased penetration ability through the nail plate. The active ingredient is Tolfinate (1%) which inhibits the formation of fungal cell membranes and is commonly seen in medications issued through podiatrists.

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