The Best Toenail Fungus Treatments & Remedies [Best Podiatrist Secrets!]

Toenail Fungus Podiatrist Treatment Overview:

• Toenail fungus can cause flaky lifting and brittle toenails.
• These can be white or even yellow and brown. Eventually, they can cause a foul smell from your feet.
• If left untreated, these can cause permanent damage to your toenails. They can cause infections, force you to take medications, eventually lead to hospitalizations and possibly amputations.
• Make sure that this doesn’t happen to you. Make sure you fix your problem before it gets out of hand!
• We will show you when 20 effective treatments will help you take great care of your toenail problems.
• This is reliable, trustworthy advice from a foot specialist!

Symptoms:

Most commonly, you will notice:

• Thick toenails, lifting toenails, and brittle toenails.
• White, yellow, or brown toenails.
• They are frequently brittle, crumbling, or have a rough, jagged edge.
• The toenail can become distorted and deformed.
• Underneath the toenail, you can have dark color buildup and debris. This is also known as toenail jam.
• These can lead to a foul smell in embarrassment.
• This can cause psychological issues and embarrassment to your toenails.

Causes:

There are three major types of toenail fungus:

• Superficial white onychomycosis
• Underneath the toenail- This is the most common: brown, black, and yellow toenail fungus.
• Surrounding the toenail- this is candida infection of yeast.

Why Does It Happen?

• Dr. Bradley Bakotic, THE leading foot dermatology-pathologist (backed evidence-based research),  states that the toenail itself is rarely even thickened.
• He states that the skin under the toenail becomes thick and spongy; it then causes the nail to lift, and the callus makes the toenail appear yellow.
• The thick skin under the toenail is really what is making the nail look yellow and deformed!
• Over time the nails lose their blood flow from the skin underneath them and become dry, brittle, and detach from the skin underneath it.
• The nails lose their pink appearance because the blood vessels underneath the nail plate are no longer visible.
• This also means that the immune cells don’t have access to the area under the nail because the spongy and thick tissue blocks them off.
• This leaves the area ripe for fungal invasion.

The Fungus Invades:

• Once this process begins to happen, it creates space for fungus to enter underneath the nail. This is why nail fungus is so hard to cure!
• Toenail fungus is not the cause of ugly nails but an inevitable progression from the callus formation under the nail, according to Dr. Bakotic and recent literature.
• The fungus is not what is causing your nail to look bad.
• Your nail looking bad is what is allowing the fungus to get underneath it!
• My mind was absolutely blown the first time I heard this!

Is Toenail Fungus Contagious?

• Toenail fungus is not contagious unless you are susceptible to it.
• There is fungus everywhere, but not everyone gets it.
• It is only usually systemically compromised people.
• The people listed in #2  are more contagious and susceptible to toenail fungus because of their systemic problems.
• You also need to be experiencing some microtrauma and irritation; this allows the fungus a route to get under the nail.

IMPORTANT Associated causes:

• Make sure you look through these causes because frequently, we find that people may have these.
• Click on these if you think that you may have them. It will link these pages with associated treatment guides:

Foot Fungus:

• if you don’t fix your foot fungus, the fungus will crawl right back into your toenails.
• Don’t let this happen to you after all your hard work of fixing your toenails.
• The key to fixing foot fungus is to get rid of that dead, dry skin that the foot fungus can live on.
• Your body wants to kill foot fungus, and it can very easily as long as the blood flow can get through the day dry skin and eliminate the fungus.
• Click on the above link to see our fungus treatment guide.

White Toenails:

• The majority of white males are not toenail fungus.
• Your toenails could be white due to allergy, toenail injuries, dehydration, or simply mail injuries.
• Many different simple solutions could pretty much get your toenail looking better without medications or treatment.
• The above link will go over the different causes of white toenails and how to care for them.
• This is especially common if you have white chalky toenails or fingernails after removing polish.

Black or Damaged Toenails:

• If you have a black or red toenail, this might mean that your toenail has been rubbing against your, or you have suffered a traumatic injury.
• Black or red toenails usually mean that there is dried blood built up underneath your toenail and that it is no longer attached.
• If this is not treated properly, the fungus can live in this dead space because blood is not circulating there.
• No matter which pills you take, they will not reach this space of dead skin.
• The creams will not penetrate through the nails to eliminate it either.
• This will give the bacteria and fungus a whole to destroy or nail over time.

Does Nail Polish Cause Toenail Fungus?

• It is prevalent to remove your nail polish and see white chalky nails.
• But don’t panic. This condition is probably not toenail fungus!
• This condition is known as keratin granulations almost always unless you are already susceptible to fungus, and the nail polish was just masking it.
• There is still a chance it may be a type of nail fungus called white superficial onychomycosis; if you are worried, see your toenail fungus podiatrist because running a lab test is the only way to know for sure.

Black Toenail Fungus:

If you have black toenail fungus, then this is likely not even toenail fungus. If you suspect black toenail fungus, then look at these options first:

• Bleeding under the toenail: Heavy running, traumatic injury, or new shoes can cause this.
• A mole underneath the toenail: If it is a black streak or a linear smudge.
• Pseudomonas infection: if it is black and green.

Risk factors:

• Young, healthy children are doubtful to have toenail fungus, even if they are exposed to the worst possible strains of fungus.
• The truth is our body’s immune system very easily kills fungus if we give it a chance. So we had to help it along.
• The following are high-risk symptoms for people who cannot utilize their immune system to stop toenail fungus.
• The key is to get your immune system healthier and let it reach the toenail so that it may kill the toenail fungus.

Systemic Factors:

• Age over 65 is more likely to have a depressed immune system and toenail fungus.
• Thicker, drier, and less hydrated skin and toenails.
• People who are smokers.
• Immunosuppression: People with weakened immune systems or depressed immune conditions.
• Poor peripheral circulation.
• Nail psoriasis.
• People that have metabolic conditions such as diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

Fungus Strain Factors:

• Exotic non-responsive organisms (<10%)
• This is very unlikely
• Onychomycosis susceptibility genetics (very rare).

Environmental Factors

• Occupational factors- excessive sweat
• Occlusive footwear
• Prolonged contact with water or sugary food
• People who wear artificial nails.
• The people who frequently use toenail polish and remove it with harsh removers such as a set tone.
• People who are exposed to community pools, showers, or barefoot walking conditions.
• People who stand all day in closed tennis shoes or boots sweating.
• People who work in conditions with moist and dry fingers and toenails can lead to nail weakening.

Complications:

This is not just a cosmetic problem. We, unfortunately, see people suffer in the hospital daily with problems stemming from their toenails.

This can lead to permanent damage and issues:

• Permanent nail deformity that will not get better.
• Inability to grow in a normal nail.
• Very high risk for wounds and infections.
• The need to take high-risk medications later in life.
• Cellulitis can cause hospitalization.
• Chronic non-healing wounds stemming from a toenail infection.
• The loss of your toe or even your foot from toenail infection.
• Inability to walk without pain.
• Inability to wear shoes normally.
• Psychological issues such as depression and poor self-esteem.

Toenail Fungus Prevention:

Why Toenail Fungus Does Not Get Better For Most People:

• Read this before attempting any home cure!
• You must understand that the fungus is not what is causing your toenail fungus.
• If you attempt to treat only the fungus, your nails will never look better permanently!
• Something is predisposing you to be able to catch the nail fungus.
• Make sure you correct the reasons the nail is lifting and the thickness of the toenail.
• The first prevention steps of the treatment are the key. Then it does make sense to kill the fungus.

Home Treatment or Podiatrist?

• Should you try a  Natural Home Cure or go straight to the podiatrist for heavy-duty treatment?
• If you meet the criteria for option number 1 – you should try using home, natural or topical treatment first.
• There is no guarantee that it will work, be safe, and not intended for home use!
• According to published medical studies, going to a good podiatrist will boost your chances from about 0% in severe toenail fungus to above 90%.

1) Natural, Homeopathic Home Remedies or Topical Creams:

• The home remedies and topical creams are not very effective on their own.
• They normally work under 40% when the conditions are right. If the conditions are not right, then there is virtually a 0% chance of them working.
• This does not mean that they are bad. You can combine for greater effect with strategies I will show you.
• There is also no harm in trying the easy solution first and seeing what happens. So see if you qualify for these home remedies:

Use Home Treatment or Over The Counter Medication if:

• The 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, orange, brown streaks in the nail exist.

2) See your Podiatrist If:

**Unfortunately, if your nail is over 50% involved, it will be very difficult (but still possible) to cure your nail fungus at home**

• A toenail fungus podiatrist can provide you with many services, such as evaluating why you are predisposed to toenail fungus in the first place.
• They can correct these problems and make sure you are not susceptible to toenail fungus further.
• They can also place you on systemic medications, which, when combined with dremeling and topical medications, can produce a 90%+ cure rate.

You need a Podiatrist if:

• If you have trouble walking or have toe pain.
• If you have never been evaluated for why you have space under your toenail.
• If this is all very overwhelming to you.
• If all toenails are 100% involved, thick or crumbling.
• Immunosuppression (Diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis, or any systemic disease).
• Diminished peripheral circulation (Peripheral vascular disease, smoking, high blood pressure, or more).
• Poor nail growth (nail has detached before, loose edges).
• If you are over 65 years of age.
• If you are a child under 18 years of age.

Home Remedy Protocol:

Note #1:

Be careful using any of these methods at home- this guide is for educational use only and should never be attempted without a toenail fungus podiatrist for supervision.

Note #2:

Remember that any home treatment or topical medication will only give you a 40% cure rate. And that is if you qualify for home treatment. Home Treatment or Over Counter Medications will not work if you have any of the following:

• >50% nail involvement.
• An entire hand or foot is involved.
• Any systemic abnormalities that will depress your immune system: Smoking, PVD, Diabetes, etc.
• Any of the criteria listed above.

Note #3:

If you still want to try these- your toenail fungus won’t get any worse. It may even be advised that these be combined with the more advanced systemic medications. Check with your toenail fungus podiatrist.

What will you need:

Before you get started, get one of the following tools:

• Emery Board.
• Nail File.
• Pumice Stone

Thinning your nails makes Treatment 25%+ more Effective!

Studies show that using an emery board to file your nails down in thickness increase the effectiveness of all of the following treatments by 15-25%. This is especially impressive when they only had a 40% chance of working in the first place!

A thick layer of fungal bio-film needs to be removed to allow treatment penetration.

• The toenail fungus can create a thick impenetrable layer of biofilm that prevents treatment agents from entering the nail bed.
• This lack of penetration under the nail plate is the #1 cause of treatment failure!
• Research states that you thin down your nails with an emery board or a pumice stone, as described in treatment.
• You gain a 15-25% increased chance of the following treatments working for you. So trim and thin your nails before the following treatments are tried!

Best Home Remedies:

A)Vick’s Vapor Rub Treatment:

• A Spanish study states that Vick’s Vapor rub is very effective.
• The Mayo Clinic states that while many people vouch for this treatment method, it is difficult to prove that Vick’s Vapor Rub is effective.

Vick’s Vapor Rub contains ingredients that have been independently proven to have anti-fungal properties in studies.

• Camphor (4.8%).
• Thymol (1.2%).
• Menthol (2.6%).

What to do:

1. For this to work, you must fix whatever allows you to be infected with toenail fungus in the 1st place.
2. Rub it onto your nail every night before you go to bed.
3. Put some socks over it, so it does not get onto your sheets.
4. You must do this for at least 6 weeks to 3 months to eradicate the fungus from your nails.
5. The nails then need 6-9 months to grow out.

B)Apple Cider Vinegar Soak Treatment:

• A Michigan State University (MSU) study shows that Vinegar has anti-fungal properties.
• The MSU study specifically reduces nail fungus symptoms and even cures it, but it was in very superficial fungus in completely healthy people.
• Apple Cider Vinegar provides an inhospitable acidic environment for the fungus. It is common to hear stories about how pouring just a little bit on foot skin fungus has made people almost instantaneously better!

What to do:

1. Pour some apple vinegar or some white vinegar (either is fine) into a tub of warm water.
2. The mixture can be 50/50 or 33/66 if your skin becomes irritated.
3. If the skin becomes irritated, slow the treatment down; do it every second day instead of every day.
4. You must do this for at least 6 weeks to 3 months to eradicate the fungus from your nails.
5. The nails then need 6-9 months to grow out.
6. Put lemon or orange peels into the vinegar while you are storing it within the fridge. This will help eliminate the vinegar smell.

C) Listerine Treatment:

There is much less research behind using Listerine for toenail fungus. But like Vick’s vapor rub, many testimonials state it works, and the ingredients are anti-fungal. Thus there has to be something behind it.

Listerine contains ingredients that have been independently proven to have anti-fungal properties in studies.

• Camphor.
• Thymol.
• Menthol.

What to do:

• The goal is to rub it onto your nail every night before you go to bed for six weeks.
• Pour some Listerine into a tub of warm water.
• The mixture can be 50/50 or 33/66 if your skin becomes irritated.
• If the skin is irritated, do it every second day instead of every day.
• You must 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.

Prevent Toenail Fungus from coming back!

• It is amazing how difficult it is to treat your fungal nails, but then people jump right back into the situations that caused it in the first place.
• It would help if you started to control your sweating, correct your footwear (and throw out the disgusting gym shoes!).
• Use anti-sweat powders and use Lysol to spray down your old shoes.