Home Remedy for Toe Nail Fungus

If you are looking for a good home remedy for toe nail fungus, you're not alone. Many people hate the look of nails infected with a fungus, but they're reluctant to take a prescription drug to clear it up. Fortunately, there are many alternatives to taking oral prescription drugs. You only need to find the one that's right for you. No matter what remedy or remedies you decide to try, remember two things: fungal infection in a nail (onychomycosis) typically takes a long time to clear up, and no treatment, not even a prescription drug, works for everyone.

Although less common than toenail infection, hand nail fungus infection can be treated using the same methods. Treatment tends to be more difficult because we use our hands so much more and have a tendency to wash them frequently - it's hard to keep a topical treatment on the nail. If you are searching for fingernail fungus treatment, as opposed to just a home remedy for toe nail fungus, keep practical considerations in mind - some methods will fit better with your lifestyle than others.

You will find that a home remedy for toe nail fungus will usually fall into one of two categories: a folk remedy type of treatment using readily available substances such as vinegar, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, mouthwash etc., or an alternative medicine approach that requires the purchase of a product - a blend of essential oils or an herbal remedy. You will find testimonials for all the methods from people who have self-treated both foot and hand nail fungus successfully. The alternative remedies do have the advantage of being supported by scientific evidence in some cases - scientific studies on the effectiveness of bleach or vinegar for onychomycosis have not been published.

It's not possible to give instructions for every home remedy for toe nail fungus, but an example would be to soak the feet in a 50/50 solution of natural apple cider vinegar and water for 15 minutes each day. For a hand nail fungus, you might apply undiluted apple cider vinegar several times each day directly to the nail. To keep the treatment in contact with the fingernail longer, soak the absorbent pad of a bandage and wrap that around the finger. Treatment with bleach, mouthwash, and other solutions requires a similar approach. Remember however, that these solutions may be skin irritants or caustic substances. Chlorine bleach and concentrated hydrogen peroxide should never be applied directly to the skin. Use common sense, do a little research, and proceed with caution.

An alternative home remedy for toe nail fungus will come with its own instructions and precautions. Many of these products contain essential oils and extracts from plants that show promise as antifungal agents. It's likely that many of these will help you fight off your onychomycosis, but one that shows particular promise in scientific research is tea tree oil. Tea tree oil can be purchased as pure oil or as one of a number of ingredients in a blended preparation. If you buy a pure preparation of any herbal oil, avoid applying it directly to the skin as it is likely to be irritating. Direct application to a toe or hand nail fungus, however, should be okay.

Before self-treating any suspected fungal nail infection, have it examined by a physician: other nail conditions can mimic onychomycosis.