According to research, one in three people face fungal nail diseases. In addition, the fungus on the nails a few decades ago was quite rare.
According to the researchers, the disease has acquired such prevalence thanks to the benefits of civilization: the high availability of swimming pools, public saunas, gyms - what was created to improve human health. But when building muscle mass or getting rid of excess weight, a person rarely pays attention to the threat that is next to him - pathogenic fungi that are just waiting to become one with the new "master".
The consequences (and not only of an aesthetic nature) are not long in coming. Darkened, loose, exfoliating nails, an unpleasant smell from the feet and shoes are far from the most terrible manifestations of the disease. Without treatment, the fungus can spread to nearby areas of the body, reduce local immunity and promote secondary infection - the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into tissues and blood, and even cause infection of others. At risk are the patient's family members, people whose skin comes into contact with surfaces on which microscopic particles of infected skin remain. It is for this reason that buying an effective home remedy for nail fungus is a great idea, especially if you visit the gym, swimming pools and other public places where the likelihood of infection with a fungus is high.
So what are the best remedies for nail fungus that the modern pharmaceutical industry and traditional medicine offer us?
The best remedies for nail fungus
Solution based on naftifine
The active ingredient of the drug - naftifine - has a high "cumulative" effect. This means that when using the drug, naftifine accumulates in the tissues of the nail plate and gradually reaches its maximum concentration, which is harmful to fungi. The excipients that make up the drug facilitate the penetration of naftifine into the nail tubules, through which, in fact, the fungus spreads.
Benefits. In addition to the antifungal action, the drug prevents secondary infection of the affected tissues, relieves itching and in a short time relieves inflammatory processes provoked by fungal infection.
Disadvantages. Clinical studies on the drug have not yet been conducted, which would confirm or deny its harmlessness. Therefore, today the drug is contraindicated for the treatment of children, pregnant and lactating women, as well as people with intolerance to any component of this drug.
Degree. The complex effect of the drug is its only, albeit significant, advantage, which gave the drug 9 out of ten points in the ranking of the best remedies for nail fungus.
From the reviews: "I treated the fungus on my nails and the skin between my fingers. Frankly, the fungus survived, but not the itch it causes. This drug literally took away the itch in a day, even though the real fungus was treated. according to the instructions, until the nail has grown completely.
Ketoconazole-based drugs
The active ingredient - ketoconazole - has a strong antifungal effect and is effective against most yeast-like fungi, molds and other fungi. Penetrating into the nail tissues affected by the fungus, ketoconazole disrupts the metabolism of these organisms and destroys their cell membrane, which becomes a stopping factor for the formation of fungal colonies and their further reproduction.
Benefits. The high efficiency is confirmed by clinical studies, but lastly the percentage of healing of nail lesions was taken into account: the main attention was paid to fungal skin diseases. For this reason it is difficult to say whether the cream is as effective for nail fungus as it is for seborrhea of the scalp. But what is really proven is that when the cream is used topically, its active ingredients are not detected in the blood even with prolonged use of the remedy. Therefore, for the treatment of lactating, pregnant women and people with kidney and liver diseases, this cream is allowed.
Disadvantages. A not very convenient scheme for using the cream (twice a day), in combination with its texture - not thick and greasy, can be difficult. This is especially true for those who are cared for on the street or outside the home.
Degree. In general, the drug deserves 10 out of ten points. But large-scale clinical trials not large enough on issues that concern us here and now - the treatment of nail fungus - still reduce its score. Therefore, we will stop at 9 points.
From the reviews: "I liked the ketoconazole shampoo when I was treating the seborrhea of the oily scalp. Therefore, when I discovered the fungus on the nail, I immediately bought the cream of the same name. I have not yet noticed any noticeable results on the nail. 'nail: I started the treatment only a week ago, but the skin around the nail has started to look healthier ".
Terfinafine-based drugs
The active ingredient - terbinafine - inhibits the growth and activity of various types of fungi, including those that cause nail damage. With the correct use of the drug according to the instructions, a concentration of terbinafine is created in the nail, which prevents reinfection for a long time.
Benefits. The convenience of the drug lies in the possibility of choosing a dosage form in the form of a spray, solution, gel or cream. All forms of release are equally effective. With proper use of the drug, noticeable improvements are observed after 2 weeks.
Disadvantages. The quality treatment provided by this remedy is due to the powerful action of terbinafine. But it is precisely for this reason that the treatment of nail fungus in women who are breastfeeding, pregnant and children under the age of 12 is contraindicated.
Degree. One of the best remedies for nail fungus, popular all over the world, but requires strict adherence to the "rules of the game". It deserves 10 out of 10 points.
From the reviews: "I think the price of the drug is too high, although it is really convenient to use it in the form of a spray. The fungus passed along with the growth of the nail, I used the solution for about a month.
The best paints for nail fungus
Varnishes for the treatment of fungal nails use various active ingredients, and the cost of such preparations varies widely.
Benefits. Each of the active ingredients - amorolfine, cyclopyroxolamine, etc. - are powerful antifungal agents that inhibit the growth and activity of fungi. The convenience of using varnishes leaves no doubt: periodic or single treatment of the nail concerned before the first (or each) use of the product, and then it remains only to follow the instructions: "dye" the nail once or twice a day day or even once a week.
Disadvantages. Unfortunately, with all the effectiveness of the antifungal substances that make up the varnishes, they are ineffective in deep fungal infections, as well as in the localization of the fungus under the nail plate. This disadvantage is to some extent compensated by the ability of the nail to accumulate medicinal substances, which spread deeper over time. But even taking this into account, there is no guarantee that a few months after completing the course of treatment, the fungus will not appear "out of nowhere". We know where: from the areas of the nail where the active substances could not penetrate.
Degree. Failure to predict the effectiveness of treatment immediately deprives even the best varnishes for the treatment of nail fungus of several rating points. Those who visit public swimming pools, saunas and gyms will be interested in knowing the "double" rating of paints: we give them 7 out of 10 points for the treatment and 10 out of 10 for the prevention of nail fungus.
tea tree oil is the best home remedy for nail fungus
The composition of tea tree oil includes terpenes, which serve as the basis for the remedy's antiseptic, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects. And viridofloren, the most potent antimicrobial substance, has only been found in tea tree oil to date, which makes it truly unique.
Benefits. Given the 100% natural origin of the oil, it can be indicated for the treatment of fungal diseases of the nails and skin of the feet, even in pregnant women, breastfeeding women and children. It has a pronounced antifungal effect, inhibiting the growth of fungi and, due to the antimicrobial effect, does not allow secondary infection of areas weakened by the vital activity of pathogenic microorganisms.
Disadvantages. A strong smell that some describe as pleasant and fresh, while others find it a bit "medical". The spectrum of action of tea tree oil is broad, but some types of fungi are resistant to viridofloren, which makes this remedy useless in treating a number of fungal infections. Also, the oil is not recommended for people with individual intolerance to the components of this product.
Degree. The almost complete absence of contraindications, effectiveness, complex action - all this allows us to call tea tree oil the best folk remedy for nail fungus and to award it 10 points out of ten.
From the reviews: "I had to cure a recurring fungus on my legs during pregnancy. I was afraid of using synthetic preparations, I preferred tea tree oil. I can say that I have never had a better remedy for nail fungus in my hands: from "root", the nail began to grow uniform and pink. Now I constantly disinfect street and indoor shoes with this oil from the inside - I have forgotten about the fungus for 7 years already.
What do you need to know when treating nail fungus?
The effectiveness of nail fungus remedies can be significantly increased if you use the following "tricks":
Before applying the product, wash your feet thoroughly in moderately warm water with soap (better use baby or normal laundry), then change the water to hot and steam the affected nail for at least 5-7 minutes. This procedure will "open" the cells of the nail, which will allow the varnish or cream to penetrate deeper into its tissues. Just do not forget that hot foot baths are contraindicated for varicose veins, hypotension, high body temperature. Make sure the overgrown nail is trimmed in a timely manner. The protruding and "free" part of the nail plate must be removed during regrowth to allow the drug to freely access the soft tissues of the nail bed. It treats not only the nail, but also the areas of healthy tissue that surround it.
Attention! There are contraindications, it is necessary to consult a specialist
Nowadays, the pharmacy network presents a wide range of modern products intended for the treatment of nail fungus: tablets, creams, gels, varnishes. At the same time, humanity has accumulated vast experience in combating this disease with natural and natural medicines. We consider the most effective of them.
Garlic and onion
To treat nail fungus with garlic at home, you only need a few cloves of this plant. You can remove mycosis of the nail plate with gruel or garlic juice. First you need to bake your nails well so that they soften. Garlic is crushed and gruel is applied to the dry surface of the nail plate. A bandage is applied to the top or fingertips are applied. The product is left overnight, washed off with soapy water in the morning. The procedure is done every other day until the fungus has completely healed.
The treatment with garlic juice is also carried out after a foot bath. The juice is rubbed into the nails and left to dry. How to quickly cure nail fungus with garlic? Traditional healers claim that the fight against the disease can take up to two months.
What is the easiest way to remove fungal nail infection? Phytotherapists claim that with onions, even at home, this disease can be cured quite simply and quickly. Grate the onion and squeeze the juice. It is necessary to treat the affected areas with juice and let the nails dry. No need to rinse!
When dealing with onions, onion skins can come in handy. Numerous recipes allow you to prepare onion oil or tincture for lubricating nails. To get onion oil, you need to do the following:
Grind two tablespoons of peel. Pour the peel with vegetable oil (three tablespoons). Leave for three weeks. Shake the container periodically.
This remedy is applied to the nails three times a day.
To make onion tincture at home, you need to chop 4 tablespoons of onion peel. Add a glass of vodka. Insist for two weeks in a cool place without access to light.
Lubricate the nails with this drug 4 times a day until the symptoms disappear completely.
The use of copper sulphate
Copper sulfate is a crystal that contains sulfur, copper and oxygen. Traditional healers have been using this remedy in the fight against nail fungus for two hundred years.
Important! It is necessary to use vitriol for medicinal purposes with great care, as the drug can be dangerous to health.
The substance is able to penetrate the skin, so in its pure form it can only be applied to the nail plate.
Copper sulfate is very dangerous when taken orally or inhaled. Prolonged skin contact can cause severe allergic reactions. In case of eye contact - conjunctivitis.
Copper sulfate is used to prepare a foot bath. It is necessary to treat the disease according to this scheme: dissolve a teaspoon of vitriol in a liter of water at room temperature. It is better not to use metal utensils! The solution is added to a basin of water at the rate of one tablespoon of product per 1. 5 liters of liquid. Duration of acceptance - 10 - 25 minutes. Copper sulfate can cause skin tingling. With severe discomfort, it is necessary to stop the procedure and wash your feet. Wash your feet with warm water. Apply antifungal ointment on the nails.
Traditional medicine claims that copper sulfate is an effective remedy that can cure a fungal disease at home. But don't forget to take precautions! It is not recommended to use vitriol for the treatment of children and pregnant women, as well as for breastfeeding.
How to be treated with salt and soda
Salt is a fairly popular and effective remedy in the fight against nail fungus. You can use it in its pure form, prepare a therapeutic solution for lubricating nails or for making a foot bath.
Salt has a negative effect on the fungus, drying it out and preventing it from spreading.
At home, you can treat the symptoms of the disease with both regular table salt and sea salt. The easiest way to use salt in the fight against nail fungus is to take salt baths regularly. For the procedure, it is necessary to add salt to the water at the rate of one tablespoon of salt per liter of liquid. It is better to add a little potassium permanganate. Duration of acceptance - 15 - 20 minutes. A fungal disease can be cured in a week, but the procedures must be continued for at least 10 days. It is worth noting that salt is effective in the initial stage of the injury. In more advanced cases, this method must be supplemented with antifungal ointments.
Folk methods of preparing saline solutions are very diverse. According to one of them, salt and vinegar will be needed to prepare the bath. Dissolve 100 grams of sea or ordinary salt in 4 liters of water. Add 4 tablespoons of vinegar to the solution. The duration of the procedure is from 10 to 20 minutes. Cut off the free part of the nail plate.
It is necessary to treat the fungus until it completely disappears.
An effective remedy in the fight against nail fungus is sea salt. It is necessary to prepare a concentrated solution: a tablespoon of sea salt per 200 ml of water. A cotton swab is abundantly moistened with this solution and applied to the affected nails for 3-5 minutes. Each plate requires a separate applicator. After the procedure, the feet are rinsed with water and soda. Even if the symptoms have disappeared, it is necessary to continue treating the nails for 10 days.
In advanced cases, the salt alone will not be able to remove the fungus. To prepare the bath, it is supplemented with essential oil (per liter of water): sea salt - 1, 5 tablespoons; tea tree oil - 1 tsp; instead of oil, you can use freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 tsp) or iodine (0. 25 ml).
It is necessary to treat onychomycosis according to the following scheme: dissolve the salt in hot water, respecting the proposed proportions. Add essential oil or other ingredient of your choice. Baths are taken every day for 15 - 20 minutes. The course lasts 10 days, so you need to take a break for a couple of days.
At home, salt treatment can be supplemented with garlic. To prepare the product, you need to do the following: prepare a saline solution - a tablespoon of salt per glass of liquid. Add a clove of minced garlic to boiling salted water. Let the mixture cool and drain. Add 4 tablespoons of salt.
Dampen a cotton ball with garlic water and carefully treat sore nails. Such salt treatment is carried out in the morning and in the evening for at least 10 days.
Salt is also used to treat household and other footwear. The insoles and the inside of the shoes are rubbed with a saturated saline solution to kill the fungus and its spores.
Birch tar
At home, fungal nail disease can be treated with tar. Birch tar is a dark green oily substance obtained from wood. Treatment with this remedy is effective in the initial stage of onychomycosis, and the advanced form will require the use of additional antifungal drugs.
Birch tar can be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The recipes for using this remedy are different, but most recommend starting the tar treatment with steaming the legs. Baths with laundry soap will have the best effect. The sequence of the procedure is as follows:
In a bowl of hot water, melt the grated laundry soap on a coarse grater. Take a bath for 15 minutes. Trim the areas affected by the fungus as much as possible. Dry your feet. Apply tar to nails, toes and feet.
The procedures are repeated daily. Treatment is continued until symptoms are completely eliminated.
At home, nail fungus is effectively treated by combining tar soap and soda. The method is as follows: grate the soap on a coarse grater. Dilute it slightly with water to get a thick paste. Add two tablespoons of baking soda to the mixture and mix. Rub this ointment into your nails daily.
At home, this remedy helps remove nail fungus in a week. The module launched will take two or more weeks.
Folk recipes for ointments that help fight nail fungus often contain birch tar. Here is the simplest: prepare a fat base: a neutral cream or visceral fat. Add birch tar to the base. Initially, the ratio of tar to cream should be 5 to 95%. Then the tar volume is adjusted to 20%.
The ointment is rubbed into the nails every night.
At home, fungal nail disease can be treated with ointment from the following components: birch tar - 3 tsp; fat base - 10 tsp; sulfur powder - 2 tsp.
All ingredients are heated and thoroughly mixed. Such an ointment with tar is applied to the nails and fixed with a plaster.
Tar is used to make homemade mash. To do this, you will need the following components: birch tar - 50 ml; alcohol - 70 ml; glycerin - 50 ml.
All components must be mixed, preferably in a container with dark walls. The solution is stored without access to light. This remedy is applied to the nails several times a day.
Birch tar can be used to sanitize shoes.
Use of urea
What folk remedy can remove a fungal nail disease as quickly as possible? Urea is a chemical preparation capable of removing water from any tissue in the body. And the fungus cannot develop without moisture, so it eventually dies. The most effective pharmacy antifungal ointments contain urea in their composition. But at home, you can prepare a medicine based on it.
Urea is added to the thick fat cream. The resulting mass is applied to the nails and left for a day. Then the product is washed off and the affected part of the nail plate is removed. After that, it is necessary to apply iodine solution on the nails for 5 days. The initial form is treated in about a week, and the advanced stage will require a repeat of the procedure.
Simple drugs from the first aid kit: potassium permanganate and peroxide
What drugs are the easiest to remove nail fungus? At home, it is effective for treating fungal nail infections with peroxide. To make a foot bath, you need to prepare an aqueous solution of peroxide: add 8 tablespoons of peroxide to three liters of warm water. The duration of the procedure does not exceed 5 minutes. Then a slurry of peroxide and soda is applied to the nails.
At home, potassium permanganate is suitable for preparing a steaming bath. Potassium permanganate powder is added to the water. The duration of the procedure is at least 10 minutes. For two liters of water it is necessary to add 2 - 3 pinches of potassium permanganate. It is better not to increase the dosage so that the potassium permanganate solution does not burn the skin. After the bath, cut the affected nails and apply an ointment against nail fungus.
Herbal treatment
Some herbs also have strong antifungal properties. Golden mustaches can effectively treat nail fungus even at home. Applying the juice of this herb helps to soften the nail and facilitate the penetration of the medicine into the plate. The golden mustache is crushed until the juice appears. The resulting suspension is applied to the nails and a compress is made of polyethylene and a bandage. In the morning, the compress is removed and the affected areas are cut. The initial form of the disease is treated in about a week.
At home, herbal infusions help well in the fight against nail fungus. Most often, their recipes contain based on celandine:
Grind the meadowsweet (1 tablespoon) and celandine (2 tablespoons). Pour boiling water over the herbs. Insist for half an hour and strain.
Cotton applicators are moistened with the infusion and applied to the steamed nails. Home treatment should be continued for at least 14 days.
To quickly cure nail fungus, you can bathe with celandine. To do this, you need to prepare an infusion of dry grass:
Pour boiling water over celandine in the following proportions: one liter of water per 100 grams of vegetable raw materials. Keep covered for 20 minutes. Effort.
An infusion of celandine herbs is added to the water in equal parts. The duration of the procedure is up to 25 minutes.
Unusual ointment
Recipes for home remedies for nail fungus are sometimes unusual. Traditional healers claim that the disease can be cured in a week with one egg. The ointment is prepared like this:
Wash a raw chicken egg and place it in a half-liter jar. Pour 70% vinegar essence into a container so that the egg is covered with liquid. Put the jar in the refrigerator and keep it there until the shell melts. Mix the solution with 200 grams of butter or other fat.
The ointment is applied to the nails and put on socks.