Listerine for Nail Fungus:


Listerine contains the ingredients Camphor, Thymol and Menthol which have all been show to all fight against toenail fungus in research studies. You should be warned that it is probably better to try using the Vick’s Vapor rub or the vinegar cure methods that are details on the fungal nail page.  The goal is to put some Listerine onto your nail every night before you go to bed for six weeks to twelve weeks. You can paint is on with a Q-Tip or a brush. If skin is irritated do it every second day instead of every day. It is essential that you do this for at least 6 weeks to 3 months to eradicate the fungus from your nails. The nails then need 6-9 months to grow out.

There is an under 40% chance that this method will work on your fungal nails, but the odds are increased if:

  • Area of nail involvement is under 50% of the total nail surface
  • There is no ingrowing of the nails into the skin edges
  • The nail is not painful
  • The skin under and around the nail still looks normal and has not yet become thick.
  • No White / yellow or orange / brown streaks in the nail exist

 

What you need:

  • Nail File, emery board or nail file
  • Listerine
  • Socks
  • 6-9 Months (Seriously!)

 

How to do it:

  • Trim and file the nail down before you try any treatment! Studies show that using an emery board to file your nails down in length and thickness increase the effectiveness of all of the following treatments by 15-25%, which is actually huge if you only have a 40% of working in the first place! The nail fungus has been shown to create a thick impenetrable layer of bio-film covering your toenail that prevents topical medications and treatments from entering into the nail bed. Research states that as you thin down your nails with an emery board or a pumice stone as described in treatment section #1 above, you gain a 15-25% increased chance of the following treatments in working for you. This means medications have to travel a smaller distance and have less resistance in the distance that they do travel. So trim your nails before the following treatments are tried!
  • Apply Listerine onto the affected toenails on top of the nail and around the nail edges both on the sides and on the front. **This is why The Vicks home treatment is usually better**
  • Then put some socks over it so it does not get onto your sheets.
  • The goal is to rub it onto your nail every night before you go to bed.
  • It is essential that you do this for at least 6 weeks to 12 weeks minimum to eradicate the fungus from your nails!
  • The nails then need 6-9 months to grow out. This is a long, slow and painful process, just be persistent!