Nail fungus treatments at home

A little overview on the topic

If you’ve ever had nail fungus or fungal nail infections, you know: It’s a real pain. You may not notice it at all at first. If your nail becomes dull or brittle or turns yellow, this is a clear sign of nail fungus. Without proper nail fungus treatments or remedies it can quickly spread to the other toes and even cause the nail to come off. This is of course quite unpleasant and a cure against nail fungus must be found as soon as possible.

How do I treat nail fungus at home? What are good nail fungus treatments & remedies?

Therefore, there are various remedies for nail fungus in the form of tablets to take or to apply as nail polish. Nail fungus takes a long time to heal completely because you can’t say for sure that it’s gone until the whole nail has grown back once, which can take 9 to 12 months. But even during the treatment it is important that you take care of good foot hygiene. Keep your toenails short, make sure that your feet do not sweat, change your socks more often than usual and disinfect your shoes regularly.

What causes nail fungus?

Conditions for fungal nail infections

Nail fungus gets people who have a weakened immune system because their body has trouble fighting the fungus. Also, if your feet have poor circulation, as is the case with diabetics, nail fungus has an easy time. But also if your feet are heavily used, because they are in too tight shoes or because you do a lot of sports, they are more susceptible to the fungus. Because it also needs a warm and moist environment to grow, you should definitely make sure that your feet don’t sweat in your shoes and that they get enough air regularly.

Transmission

Nail fungus is transmitted by so-called smear infection, for example, if you touch the affected area and then reach for something else. Also, if you are barefoot in the swimming pool, for example, you spread the nail fungus and infect other bathers. Therefore, if you have nail fungus, you should also not share towels, bed linen or clothing with another person to prevent the fungus from spreading.

Our test: which nail fungus treatments & remedies really help?

Nail fungus treatments & remedies against severe nail fungus

Especially if you have to fight with a particularly stubborn fungus, you should reach for a therapy set like the one from Canesten. This consists of an ointment against the fungus, which must be applied regularly with a spatula for 1 to 2 weeks. In addition, you cover the nail with the hygiene patches from the set. After that, take care of your nails for another 4 weeks with the care from the set to kill even deep-seated fungal spores.

The best nail polish against nail fungus

You can fight nail fungus a little longer, but quite uncomplicated with a special nail polish. Products such as Loceryl contain an active ingredient that fights nail fungus. Once a week you file off the affected area (use a disposable file for this) and apply the nail polish. Overall, it takes longer for the fungus to disappear, but you only have to take care of it every 7 days. In addition, nail polishes with active ingredient in them have the advantage that they also kill deep-seated fungal spores and thus prevent the nail fungus from reappearing when you thought you had already gotten rid of it.

Home remedy for fungal nail infections: tea tree oil

If you value natural products, tea tree oil is a good remedy for nail fungus. Oils for foot and nail care like the one from Naturprodukte Schwarz provide you with vitamin E and fight the fungal infestation at the same time. You should apply the oil daily. With this nail fungus remedy, it takes a few months for the annoying fungus to disappear, but you care for your nails in a natural way and prevent further infections. You can apply the oil with a cotton swab or take a foot spa bath with warm water, in which you put a few drops of the nail oil.

Tablets against nail fungus

Might sound strange at first, but if you remember that nail fungus has a lot to do with the fact that your nails and skin lack nutrients, it makes sense that mineral supplements can help there. Accordingly, there are no pills that directly fight nail fungus, but supplements with B vitamins and zinc, strengthen nails, hair and skin, helping them recover faster and preventing the fungus from spreading as quickly. You can take high-dose products like this one from vitamaze once a day. We generally recommend that you discuss your needs with a doctor who can advise you on supplements.

Medication against nail fungus without prescription

Your pharmacist will prescribe this medication for nail fungus. The pump spray of the brand ratiopharm you spray twice a day with a distance of 10-30cm on the affected area. After that you just let it dry. Especially if you have a lighter fungus, but it is very extensive, this spray quickly provides relief.

What other natural remedy for fungal nail infections?

Nutrients as a remedy against fungal nail infections

In this case, too, prevention is better than cure. This means that it is best to make sure that the fungus does not develop in the first place. The best prerequisite for this is a strong immune system. Especially B vitamins, iron and magnesium ensure that your nails, skin and hair are healthy and stay that way. Strong nails do not become brittle so quickly and thread fungi, which cause nail fungus, have no chance.

Apple cider vinegar as a remedy against nail fungus

Apple cider vinegar helps against a variety of bacteria and fungi. A daily foot bath in a mixture of warm water and a few tablespoons of the acidic liquid is not only good for your skin and nails, but also kills fungal threads, preventing the fungus from spreading further. You can also prepare an apple cider vinegar scrub by mixing two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with one tablespoon of rice flour. To avoid spreading the fungus with your hands, you can use an old toothbrush to apply the paste on the nail and massage it in.

Onions as a remedy for fungal nail infections

This totally simple remedy can be found in every kitchen cupboard: just cut an onion into thick slices and rub the nail for about 5 minutes. After that, you should leave the onion juice on for about 20 minutes without covering the nail. After that, you can rinse the foot with warm water and dry it well. This method is a bit more impractical, because you should treat the affected area in this way twice a day and the exposure time is comparatively long.

Good circulation as a remedy

Especially old people suffer from nail fungus again and again. The reason for this is that their limbs are no longer as well supplied with blood as younger people. In addition, in old age there are frequent illnesses and medications that lower blood pressure, for example. To keep arms and legs well supplied with blood, we recommend regular exercise and massages, especially of the feet. Alternating hot and cold showers also helps your circulation.

Pay attention to hygiene

The fight against nail fungus can take a long time. This is because, as we said, the fungal spores spread quite quickly. Therefore, the most important remedy against nail fungus is hygiene: make sure that your feet are dry and clean and get good air. At the same time, you should make sure that the fungus comes into contact with other materials as little as possible. Walking around barefoot in the apartment, for example, is not a good idea. You should always wash socks, bed linen and towels at 60 degrees to disinfect them.