Toenail fungus is embarrassing, painful, and challenging to treat. With so many different toenail fungus treatments available over the counter, it’s hard to select the most effective option.
What is the best treatment for toenail fungus? Options include topical creams, oral medication, laser treatment, and surgical nail removal (avulsion). Of these, avulsion is the most effective, but needs to be done by a doctor. Creams and gels are the easiest and most convenient home treatment for nail fungus, provided that the formula can penetrate the nail.
To cure toenail fungus fast and permanently, we recommend Nonyx Nail Gel
. Below we describe exactly how topical toenail fungus creams work. But getting rid of toenail fungus for good is about preventative measures, too, not just a treatment plan. We explain exactly what it takes to benefit from a toenail fungus-free life.
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How to Cure Toenail Fungus Forever
There are three main ways of curing toenail fungus. These are surgery, prevention, and chemical treatments. Of these three, only chemical treatments are considered to be a home remedy.
No matter which treatment you select, toenail fungus is resilient. Even if you undergo surgery, toenail fungus can come back. That’s because the fungal spores sit deep in the nail bed.
Can toenail fungus be permanent? It is, unless you do something about it! If you use nail gel, it may take many months to work. But if you use it consistently, and don’t give up halfway through, it will work eventually. You should continue to apply the formula for several weeks after it has gone.
1) Toenail Fungus Creams and Gels
Topical creams are the most popular way of getting rid of toenail fungus permanently. Like other topical creams, they are applied directly to the affected nail(s).
Before treatment begins, it’s wise to treat the nail. Since fungal infections cause the nail to become thicker, this makes it difficult for the cream to penetrate through to the fungal spores. You, therefore, begin by thinning it, getting rid of the dead layers of the nail.
OTC treatments for toe fungus, such as Nonyx Nail Gel, contain a fungicide. The fungicide is mixed with an absorbent cream, which sinks into the nail. The longer it’s used, the deeper the fungicide treatment will reach.
2) Natural Remedies for Toenail Fungus
Natural remedies are a topical treatment like those above. The only difference is that they’re natural instead of synthetic. There are several popular natural treatments, including:
- Tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is a proven fungicide.
- Lavender oil. Lavender oil is a favorite cure-all, and may work.
- White iodine. White iodine is an antiseptic, and commonly used on nails for many reasons.
- Vicks VapoRub. Vicks VapoRub contains ingredients that work like tea tree oil.
The issue with these approaches is that they have limited scientific backing, just anecdotal evidence. A small number of essential oils are fungicidal. But many other treatment methods, like cornmeal mush, have no proof of their efficacy.
3) Toenail Fungus Surgery
Toenail fungus surgery is reserved for the most severe of cases. It’s possible to keep your nail clipped short, and scrape away much of the fungus. But toenail surgery goes one step further.
In surgery, some or all of the nail bed itself is cut away. Since it’s the nail bed that contains the core, difficult-to-treat infection, this is instantly effective. Removing the entire toenail is known as avulsion, while removing part is called debridement.
Surgical nail removal takes place either in a clinic or a doctor’s office. Your toe is injected with an anesthetic. The doctor then loosens the skin at the edges of the nail (the nail folds).
They then separate the nail from the skin by sliding an instrument underneath. While this sounds painful, it won’t be because of the anesthetic. With the nail loose, the doctor cuts or plies it away.
If the infection is severe, the doctor can destroy the nail bed to prevent the nail from growing back. This is done by applying a chemical to the cuticle area. Once finished, the doctor will apply ointment for healing and wrap the area in gauze.
4) Laser Therapy for Nail Fungus
Laser therapy is one of several forms of physical therapy aside from surgery. Others include photodynamic therapy (PDT) and plasma therapy. The idea is to destroy the fungus without destroying the nail.
PDT can be performed at home using specialized laser devices, such as Cure Ex. These tools aren’t expensive and can be reused, although they take a long time to work. They can form part of an ongoing prevention regime.
You can also visit a clinic for toenail fungus therapy. Clinics have access to the latest equipment and skilled technicians. However, they’re far more expensive than doing it yourself.
The Best Permanent Cure for Toenail Fungus
Xenna Nail Gel
is a doctor-recommended treatment that is effective and easy to source. It works by getting rid of the excess keratin that toenail fungus feeds on. It also improves the appearance of your nail, making it the perfect solution.
The active ingredient in NonyX is entirely natural. It contains 9.75% ethanoic acid, also known as acetic acid. You’ll know acetic acid better as the base of vinegar. The pure acetic acid used in NonyX is much stronger than vinegar.
NonyX is mostly pure deionized water. Aside from acetic acid, it also contains xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is a thickener.
The stickier and thicker the product, the more it clings to the nail and is absorbed. Pure fluid would flow away. This makes Xenna Nonyx Nail Gel more effective than plain vinegar.
Acetic acid itself is fungicidal. A study in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology showed that the body uses small amounts of acetic acid to prevent fungal yeast infections. It’s therefore likely to be effective if used correctly.
What Does NonyX Nail Gel Do?
NonyX nail gel isn’t only fungicidal. It works by destroying excess keratin in your nail.
Keratin is the substance that all healthy nails are made from. However, it’s also what toenail fungus feeds on. That’s why if you cut the entire nail away through surgery, the fungus goes away.
Over time, the fungus breaks down more of the nail’s keratin. This causes yellow discoloration, thick color, and crumbliness. The fungus is trying to create more food for itself.
Getting rid of this ‘food’ gradually reduces the size of the infection. This exfoliation is what NonyX does. NonyX also improves the color of your nail if it’s turned yellow.
The reason this takes so long is that infected nail is unsalvageable. You have to wait for the fresh nail to grow up in its place. Depending on the length of your nail, it can take six months or more for a completely fresh nail to grow.
How to Use Toenail Fungus Nail Gel (Step-by-Step Guide)
There are many ways to get rid of toenail fungus. Rather than list them all, the section below covers just one. We’ve detailed how to kill toenail fungus using NonyX nail gel.
Treatment isn’t as simple as applying the gel every night. For best results, there are several additional steps, such as preparing the nail.
1) Prepare Your Nails for Fungal Treatment
Fungal infections progressively penetrate the nail bed. As the infection gets worse, more of the nail is infected. Eventually, with the entire nail infected, symptoms begin to show.
The most important of these symptoms is that the nail becomes thick and crumbly. This is an obstacle to treatment. The thick nail prevents the nail gel from ever reaching the nail bed.
Begin by clipping your nail as short as possible. This you can do as normal, provided that your clippers open wide enough. If they don’t, you can use thick toenail fungus toenail clippers.
Clean your clippers with an antifungal solution after you clip each nail. This prevents the infection from spreading from one nail to another. It also prevents the spread of toenail fungus to others using them.
Afterward, start applying nail softening cream. Nail softening cream makes it easier for you to scrape away excess infected nail. This can take two weeks or more to achieve full effect.
2) How to Scrape Off Toenail Fungus
Pick a place to start scraping. You want somewhere that’s already clean, and can easily be cleaned again. If you don’t clean up, you risk spreading the infection. Only do this at home.
After using the nail softening cream, your nail should have become soft enough to scrape plenty away. The point is so that there’s less nail, and less infection, to treat.
Start scraping away excess nail. Depending on how crumbly your nail is, this may be quite difficult. Use a nail scraper, which you can find in any common manicure kit. This process can take some time, but it shortens the time that treatment takes.
Avoid making any deep gouges or scrapes. If you make deep scratches, this helps the fungus penetrate deeper into the nail bed. The idea isn’t to scrape away as much of your nail as possible, but as much fungus.
Finish by disinfecting. Disinfect your nails, disinfect the tools you used, and disinfect the bathroom. Clean up any shavings of nail scraped away. This stops you passing on the infection to other nails, or other people.
This is only necessary if your toenail has become exceptionally thick. If you can see the clear pink nail, either at the top or bottom, then there’s no need for this step. That’s because Xenna Nonyx Nail Gel gets rid of excess keratin build-up too, but takes longer.
3) How to Make Your Nail Softer
After using the nail softening cream, your nails will be somewhat softer. You can make them even softer by bathing before you apply the gel.
The purpose of making your nail soft is to make it permeable. The softer your nail, the deeper the gel will reach, and the better the effect will be.
While bathing, clean your feet and rub the nail itself with your fingers. This will make them soft enough for the gel to work.
4) How to Apply Nail Gel
Applying NonyX nail gel is simple. The packaging comes with detailed directions on how to apply it.
Remove the paper seal around the cap. Gently shake the bottle until gel fills the applicator nozzle. Remove the black cap and apply one or two drops of the gel to the affected area. Apply the solution to each affected nail.
Do this twice daily. Allow the nail gel to dry before you put socks or shoes on. If possible, bathe your feet before you apply the gel each time. Continue the process every day.
You won’t notice any major change in your nail at first. You aren’t trying to cure the nail; damaged and infected nails are unrecoverable. What you’re doing is killing enough fungus that fresh, undamaged nail can grow in.
Unfortunately, this can take between six months and a year. Ensure before treatment begins that you can stick to it. Partial treatment is no better than no treatment.
5) Scrape Away Excess Keratin
After 3 to 6 weeks, you should notice that your nail has become thicker again. This is the fungus continuing to act at a lesser rate. This will continue to occur until an entirely new nail grows through.
Repeat the scraping process described above. This prevents the fungus from feeding. And since you scraped your nails a few weeks prior, doing so again will make your nail thinner.
Over time, this will allow you to return your nail to a normal thickness level.
6) Is My Toenail Fungal Infection Gone?
NonyX treats several of the symptoms of toenail fungal infection. Look for the following signs of toenail fungus healing:
- Your nail is less yellow. Healthy nails are pink as opposed to yellow.
- The shape of your nail improves. A fungus can cause uneven nails. As new nail grows in, this change reverses.
- Your nail turns more solid. An infected nail is so soft, it crumbles away. Healthy nails are solid and protect the toe or finger.
- Your nail becomes flexible, not brittle. As well as being solid, healthy nails are flexible. This is often the last change to take place.
These changes will gradually move from the bottom of your nail to the top. While the top of your nail may remain yellow, the bottom will look pinker. That’s because the new fresh uninfected nail is growing in.
Does Topical Treatment for Toenail Fungus Work?
Topical treatment works, although it takes time.
One issue is that topical treatment alone is only a good idea for minor infections. In severe ones, where the nail is very thick, yellow and deformed, it may be impossible to treat fully. Avulsion surgery would be a better option.
It may also take a long time to work in these circumstances. The deeper the infection, the longer it takes. This can be frustrating, and causes many people to give up.
While you may fully intend to see treatment through, it’s possible to make mistakes or miss days. The more days you miss and errors that you make, the less effective the treatment. That’s especially frustrating if you did perfectly well for six months.
It also won’t work if you don’t follow preventative steps. You could do everything right when applying the cream. But if you wear infected socks that spread the infection to the new nail, there’s no point. We recommend wearing antifungal socks in the future.
How Long Does It Take to Get Rid of Toenail Fungus?
How long this takes depends on several factors. These are as follows:
- Whether the infection reached your nail bed.
- The number of nails affected. More infected nails mean re-infection is more likely.
- The length of your nails. If you have short nails, it will take less time to regrow them.
- Whether you took preventative steps. If you continually keep re-infecting your nails, treatment may take several years—or forever.
This is why severe infections are best treated with surgery. Unfortunately, toenail fungus treatment is not covered by insurance as it’s classified as a cosmetic issue by insurers.
How to Prevent Toenail Fungus from Coming Back
It’s clear that prevention is all-important. Here are some tips on how to avoid getting another toenail fungal infection in the future.
1) Stop Sharing Towels Spread
Using the same towel as somebody else is a sure way to spread toenail fungus. When you dry your feet, you crumble some of the nail. This crumbled nail contains fungal spores, which can latch on to somebody else’s nail.
Sharing towels can spread skin conditions in the same way. And sharing other things can spread infection too. Toenail clippers, socks, and shoes can all carry fungal infections.
However, that doesn’t mean ‘don’t use a towel on your feet.’ It’s important to dry your feet thoroughly whenever you wash them. Fungus loves water, as it helps it spread.
2) Toenail Fungus and Diet
The strength of your nails is directly related to what you eat. There are several vitamins and minerals necessary for the maintenance of strong nails. These are available from any pharmacy.
An article in Clinics in Dermatology highlighted the point. Magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, sodium, and copper are all essential to nail health. To quote: “Virtually every nutritional deficiency can affect the growth of the nail in some manner.”
A diet high in carbohydrates may help fungus grow. Avoid carbohydrates and ensure you take your vitamins for optimal nail health.
3) Don’t Walk Barefoot
Toenail fungus is easily spread in bathrooms and pools because people walk barefoot. Small pieces of nail crumble away and are left behind. Another person can then step in them, pick up one or two spores, and become infected.
Avoiding this is as simple as wearing flip-flops. Wash your flip-flops regularly to avoid fungus sticking to them and being passed on to your feet.
4) Change Your Socks and Shoes
Sweaty, warm socks are a breeding ground for fungus. Wearing the same socks over multiple days encourages any small spores you may have picked up to grow.
Never wear socks for more than one day. Don’t wear socks at night. Instead, allow your feet to ‘breathe.’ Spray your shoes with an antifungal spray regularly.
Follow these tips, and even if you do pick up some spores, you may prevent them from growing.
5) Improved Foot Hygiene
Good foot hygiene can prevent infections, or stop infections getting worse. This involves:
- Washing and thoroughly drying your feet each night
- Keeping your toenails trimmed short
- Not walking barefoot in dirty areas
- Rotate your shoes, wearing one pair one day, and another pair the next
Follow each of the foot care hints above, and you minimize the chance of infection. And if you do, it will take longer to spread.
The most important thing is to catch your infection early. The sooner you start treatment with Xenna Nonyx Nail Gel, the less time it will take. If you put it off and wait, it will only get worse.
