3 Best Ways to Treat a Nail Fungus
Guest blog post by Luke Douglas from www.ripped.me
Nail fungus is a common condition, and even though it normally isn’t a serious one, it can cause some embarrassment and discomfort. This condition is caused by fungi known as dermatophytes, which flourish on skin, but also keratin. And since keratin is mostly found in your hair and nails, dermatophytes usually inhabit the space under your toe nails, causing damage to the nails and changing their color into white, brownish and yellowish.
In some cases, the nails may harden and thicken, and even separate themselves from the toes completely. One of the reasons nail fungus is this common is the fact that they thrive in humid and damp places, such as showers, making it very easy to get affected by it. Fortunately, there are many ways to get rid of it. Take a look at the most frequent and the most efficient ones.
Try with OTC treatments
Visiting your local pharmacy and asking for some over the counter ointments or creams to help you with the problem of nail fungus is one way to go. If you can’t decide what to get, ask the pharmacist for some advice. Keep in mind that some of these treatments are more expensive than others, in case that the price is an important factor when picking one.
Whatever you choose, make sure you follow the directions inside the package, so that you apply it properly and get the best results. Also, keep using the product for as long as the directions tell you to, since the fungus can spread again if you don’t wipe it out completely. Depending on the topical treatment you use, it can take up to a year until the desired results start showing.
Give laser treatment a try
As topical treatments require a long time to work, and are sometimes insufficiently efficient, people sometimes seek other types of treatment. They look for treatments that take less time and are more likely to fully rid them of the fungus. In such cases, many people turn to laser treatment, since it works fast and is non-invasive. In short, the laser light can shine through your toe nail, penetrating it and killing the fungus beneath it, while not causing any damage to the nail itself or the skin around the fungus.
There are several types of laser therapy, but if you want one which is completely pain-free, since it doesn’t use hat to destroy the fungus, you should opt for the effective cold laser therapy. Another reason people choose laser therapy is that it has no side effects and it takes less than 15 minutes for each of your feet to be treated.
Use natural remedies
One good thing about natural remedies is that they can be combined with any of the other types of treatment without any side effects. There are several of them worth mentioning, and it’s most likely that you already have the necessary ingredients somewhere in your kitchen. However, before trying these treatments, make sure that you clip your toe nails really short and perhaps even use a file to make them somewhat thinner, so that the treatment can reach the fungus more easily. One good example of natural home remedies is vinegar, which you can use to make a foot bath.
Use one dose of vinegar per two doses of water and soak your feet in it once a day for about half an hour before washing your feet with clean water. Another thing you can try is baking soda. Simply take a teaspoon of it and add a few drops of water. The goal is to make a thick paste, which you can put on your affected nails and keep it there for about half an hour twice a day. Similarly, you can use oregano oil, coconut oil, tea tree oil or crushed garlic.
If none of these treatments show the results you were hoping for, make an appointment with your doctor. They may give you some prescription medicines to help you, or they may give you some good advice on how to treat the affected areas with more success.