Onychomycosis is the medical name for nail fungus. The disease causes many unpleasant sensations, both physical and aesthetic (constant embarrassment, embarrassment, impossible to take off shoes or gloves in front of people). It is especially difficult to hide pathology in summer. But an unpleasant appearance is just the tip of the iceberg, and people with this disease know how many problems it entails! Today we will talk about treating nail fungus with home remedies. You will find the most effective recipes and treatment methods in this publication. But first, let's look at the causes of the disease, because first they will need to be eliminated!
Why does onychomycosis develop?
The fungus is an infectious disease and infection occurs after physical contact with a sick person (squeezing the hand, using the same nail file and other personal hygiene items, wearing the same slippers, shoes, gloves, socks, etc. ). If someone in the family becomes infected, the fungus can easily spread to other family members.
The fungus is extremely tenacious and can wait a long time for a victim on ceramic tiles or the surface of the bathtub; This is what represents the greatest danger of disease transmission.
It is very easy to become infected with a fungus outside the home, in common locker rooms, in a bathhouse or in a swimming pool. Infection usually occurs in nail salons, since unscrupulous personnel inadequately control the hygiene and sterilization of the instruments they use to carry out the work.
But not all people are exposed to infection. For example, if there are 5 people in the same steam room, only 1 of them or none of them will become infected, even if a carrier has been here before. Because? This is a weakened immune system: chronically weak immunity or its deterioration after recent illnesses. Infection occurs at lightning speed, just a light touch with the bare foot on the ground where the carrier of the fungus has walked.
Today there are many effective methods to treat nail and foot fungus. Folk remedies or medications should be used only after consulting with a specialist who will select the most productive therapy. But you cannot delay visiting the doctor, since the infection spreads quickly and an advanced fungus will be much more difficult to cure.
Signs of fungus
Recognizing the presence of an infectious fungus is very simple. The disease mainly manifests itself with the following symptoms:
- the nail plate changes its appearance and color (it can become whiter, yellow, a greenish tint often appears) and darkens over time;
- with the further development of the disease, the nail plate begins to peel, then crumble and can completely collapse (the crumbling ends at the base and as soon as the nail begins to grow, it crumbles again);
- unpleasant itchy and even painful cracks appear on the skin around the infected nail;
- Excessive sweating of the feet, the unpleasant odor persists even after washing.
To quickly stop the development of the disease and get rid of it as soon as possible, you should urgently start treatment for nail fungus. The most effective home remedies are described in the following content. Under each recipe there will be reviews from people who have overcome the disease.
Preparation
Reviews of many pharmaceutical products are mostly not the most enthusiastic. People write that they spend a lot of effort, time and money on treatment, but still the disease persists for years and its development can only be stopped. Another thing is home remedies! Most people have found an effective treatment for nail fungus. They write that all recipes are based on inexpensive and publicly available products, the disease begins to disappear from the first procedures, it is only necessary to correctly follow the recipe and recommendations. Home remedies to treat fingernail and toenail fungus must be applied correctly; this requires removing most of the affected tissue. This is the way it is done:
- Heat the water to a temperature that is comfortable for soaking your feet in, you can warm the water even a little.
- Pour three liters of hot water into a container or bathtub, mix it with 3-4 tablespoons of wine vinegar (if you don't have it, use apple cider vinegar).
- Soak your feet or hands in the bath (depending on where the infection is raging). This procedure will relieve discomfort in the form of itching and disinfect the skin. The skin and the affected part of the nail plate will be vaporized and can be easily cut.
- Remove as much of the soaked fabric as possible. The fewer affected areas left, the easier it will be to stop the infection and completely eliminate the fungus.
Next, you can start treating nail fungus with home remedies. The most effective, time-tested and people-tested recipes are based on simple and affordable products. We suggest moving on to the review.
horseradish root
This plant is used in many alternative medicine recipes. Horseradish root is used to combat many diseases, including nail and foot fungus. Treatment with a folk remedy of this product is not the fastest, but it is one of the most effective. By undergoing such therapy, the fungus completely dies and the growing nail will be healthy. It is necessary in a timely manner, when the nail plate grows, to cut off the modified part, this way you will quickly eliminate the unsightly appearance.
The recipe is simple:
- Peel the horseradish root from the top dark-colored layer and grate the rest on a fine grater.
- Apply the paste on your nails thickly and secure it with a bandage.
- It is necessary to keep the product on the legs or arms for at least 8 hours, so the procedure is performed on a weekend or in the evening.
- Wash your nails.
- The procedure is carried out 2-3 times a week.
Everyone who has experienced treatment with a folk remedy for nail fungus has left positive reviews. They write that the method is effective, helps to cope with the disease relatively quickly and effectively. The product is very cheap and this is also noticeable in the reviews. The only thing is that it is recommended to pass the root through a fine grinder, since it is inconvenient to grate it.
There are people who advise washing your feet and hands every day in a decoction of horseradish and horseradish leaves during the middle days of therapy. They write that in this way the disease will disappear twice as fast!
The decoction is made like this:
- Grind 2 horseradish leaves, a little root (a tablespoon should be enough), mix and pour a liter of boiling water.
- Let it rest for an hour and then strain.
- Place your feet or hands in the bath and pour in the broth. Keep your feet in the water for 10 to 15 minutes.
Coffee
Treatment of nail fungus at home with folk methods is very diverse and everyone can choose the procedures according to their taste! Here is a popular coffee-based technique. The advantages of the procedures are the diffusion of a pleasant smell throughout the room! The method is especially useful when you go to visit, where you will have to take off your shoes. This procedure almost completely eliminates the unpleasant odor that comes from feet affected by fungus.
What do we have to do:
- Prepare natural (strong) coffee: use three tablespoons of crushed beans per liter of boiling water.
- Wait for the drink to cool slightly and then pour it into a bowl.
- Place your feet in the coffee and keep them there for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Rinse with clean water, dry and put on cotton socks.
Do the procedure every night and soon the fungus will completely disappear and the skin on your feet will become incredibly soft.
People's opinions about the procedure are only positive. Some write that at first they were skeptical about the coffee method, they did not believe that it would really help. Reviews say that natural coffee is much more effective than many popular antifungal remedies sold in pharmacies.
Celandine
Celandine is a poisonous plant, but at the same time very useful for humans. Hundreds of different infusions, decoctions, ointments and lotions are made from it that help eliminate thousands of diseases. Celandine is productive in the treatment of nail fungus. There are many popular recipes, including baths, lotions and ointments. We have chosen the most effective publishing methods.
The recipe is:
- Pass the stems and foliage of the plant through a meat grinder, you will get a paste with orange, yellow and green juice. Only work with gloves, because celandine can cause skin burns.
- Squeeze out the juice, the cake can be prepared in boiling water (5 liters of water are used for half a kilo of cake, add it to the bath and clean all the skin).
- Pour the juice into a glass container, which is convenient to store in the refrigerator; The shelf life of celandine juice is 4 days.
- Fill a container with warm water, pour two liters of water, dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt and 6 tablespoons of soda.
- Soak your nails in water for 15 minutes and then clean them.
- Take a couple of drops of celandine juice, mix with the same amount of water (you can use aloe juice), moisten a cotton pad and apply it to the affected nail plate. Close it.
- Remove the disc after 30 minutes. Do not overexpose it, as a burn may form on the skin around the nail.
The procedure is carried out every day, once in the evening. The course is until a completely healthy nail grows.
In the morning it is recommended to apply ointment with celandine juice to the nails, you can do it like this:
- Mix two drops of celandine juice in a teaspoon, take twice as much Vaseline or baby cream. Mix and apply on nails.
- Try not to get your hands wet for an hour after applying the ointment.
According to reviews, the folk remedy for treating nail fungus is the most effective or one of the most effective. The cost of treatment is really economical, because the plant can be collected from May to September completely free of charge and it grows everywhere!
tea tree oil
It is a natural antiseptic that helps effectively combat fungal diseases. If nail fungus appears, you will definitely like treatment with a folk remedy, it is convenient and you can use it both at home and at work.
The recipe is:
- At home, steam your hands well in a salt and soda bath. If you must use the product at work, hold your hands under warm, even hot, water for several minutes.
- Apply a drop of tea tree oil to the affected area and rub well until completely absorbed.
- Don't get your hands wet for at least an hour.
- The procedure is carried out twice a day.
Reviews claim that such therapy can completely eliminate the fungus in the shortest possible time and the result is noticeable after the first day of use. The plate begins to change color to normal, then only the healthy nail grows.
Garlic
This is a universal tuber that has a wide range of uses. Thus, it is used to enrich the flavor of dishes and to combat numerous infectious diseases, including nail fungus. Effective home remedies make the treatment of the disease pleasant (you see the disease regress), quick and productive. How to use garlic for treatment:
- Peel a clove or several garlic cloves (depending on the degree of spread of the disease), press with a press or grate on a fine grater.
- Spray your hands or feet in water with soda and salt and dry them.
- Apply the paste to the infected areas and secure it with a bandage. The compress remains on the nails for at least 3 hours.
- You need to repeat the procedure, as in the case of horseradish, 2-3 times a week.
To speed up the healing process, on days when you do not apply compresses, rub garlic oil into the nail plates once a day.
Reviews of the product claim that its effectiveness is the same as that of compresses with horseradish. Unlike the latter, garlic has a strong smell and then the smell is absorbed into the skin and smells for a long time. But you can always find garlic, unlike horseradish!
rowan leaves
You can treat the fungus with a folk remedy at home using rowan or, more precisely, its foliage. The disadvantage of this method is that fresh foliage is only available in warm climates; can't be found in winter! But the effectiveness of the product has been proven by many people, and if it is necessary to treat a fungal infection in summer and autumn, it is recommended to try it.
The recipe is:
- Some fresh rowan leaves should be washed well, chopped or finely chopped.
- Mix the porridge with a few drops of sunflower oil (it can be refined or unrefined, use what you have on hand).
- Apply the product to the nails, apply a bandage, remove after a few hours (at least 3 hours).
- The compresses are applied daily until complete recovery.
Reviews claim that this folk remedy slowly helps in the treatment of advanced nail fungus. If the problem is serious, the fungus is not in the early stages, then it is better not to use this method. As many people write, for advanced infections, celandine lotions, garlic and horseradish compresses are very helpful.
Recipe with hydrogen peroxide
Treatment of nail fungus with a folk remedy is used both in the initial stages of the development of the disease and in advanced forms. The product is very productive and many people write reviews about it. Some people use only peroxide, without additives, while others make even more effective products based on it. We would like to present you one of the recipes:
- Mix in 4 cups of hot water: half a cup of baking soda, a quarter cup of hydrogen peroxide (3%), half a cup of Epsom salts, a quarter cup of 9% vinegar.
- Soak a cotton ball in the solution, squeeze out some of the excess, apply it to the sore nail, and secure it with a bandage or plaster.
- After 10 hours, change the disc to a new one, soaked in the same composition (it must be stored in the refrigerator, it is enough for the entire course).
- The duration of the course is one month, during which time the fungus will completely disappear and healthy, soft and beautiful nails will grow.
Other treatments
What people haven't tried to get rid of nail fungus! There are simply amazing methods and they are written about them in the reviews, which really helps, despite the confusion of the recipes! So, you can find the following methods:
- Apply kerosene to the affected area of the nail. Wrap your finger in plastic wrap and hold it there for 15 minutes on your hands and 30 minutes on your feet.
- It is recommended to apply a rust neutralizer, sold at automotive supply stores, on plates severely affected with an advanced form of the fungus. I advise you to follow the safety rules: use gloves when the windows are open, avoid contact of the product with the skin and mucous membranes.
Hand and foot care during treatment.
To quickly overcome the disease, it is necessary to follow several rules for caring for the skin of the extremities and nails:
- In the morning, upon waking up, and in the evening, after all walks, it is necessary to wash your hands and feet thoroughly with tar soap. This product has a disinfectant effect, the fungus will not multiply.
- Sweat creates favorable conditions for the development of fungus, so shoes should be made of natural materials that are breathable.
- When treating nail fungus with home remedies, the fastest results will be achieved if you start treating your shoes with antiseptics every day. Socks, bedding: for single use only!
During therapy, avoid visiting baths, swimming pools, saunas and other places where you yourself can infect another person. At home, so that relatives do not get hurt, wear only your own slippers, do not allow anyone to wear them, do not walk barefoot.
Nail fungus, the treatment of which we discussed at home with folk remedies in the article, is not a runny nose! And to completely get rid of the disease, you need to be patient and follow all recommendations.
Only if the prescribed conditions are met, effective results will be obtained when treating nail fungus with home remedies. Photos of the components for preparing potions are available in the article.