Common drugstore items like Vicks and Listerine are the key ingredients to home remedies that may prove helpful for getting rid of nasty nail fungus.
Nail fungus is a common complaint. Often, people with this condition find it annoying and want to get rid of it. Prescription drugs to treat nail fungus (also called “onychomycosis”) take a long time to work and frequently cost quite a bit. Are there other reasonable approaches to curing nail fungus?
Q. I am a 21-year-old college student, and I have not had a “normal” big toenail on my left foot since I was 14. It came off when I was a freshman in high school as I was removing nail polish. Since then, the toenail has grown back (with fungus) over and over and then repeatedly fallen back off.
How To Fight Nail Fungus Naturally
I went to a podiatrist once, who prescribed me paint-on medication that did not make any difference at all. The toenail continued to grow back rough and a yellow-brown color. It was unsightly and embarrassing, especially in high school. In the summers I kept it covered with a bandaid. As I got older I discovered that I could buy fake nails from Wal-mart and glue them over my ugly toenail. To say the least, my toenail was annoying and bothersome. I often said if I could change anything, I would just want pretty feet.
About a year ago, a friend’s mom told me that she had heard of someone using tea tree oil on fungus. I tried this for a few months. Again, I thought the toenail was growing in clear but then it would just fall off again. I gave up on the tea tree oil.
However, I thought maybe there were other suggestions that might really work, so I got online and found many websites like this one. I was skeptical, but I thought anything was worth a try. I went out the next day and bought Listerine, Vicks VapoRub, and white vinegar (the off-brand of all 3). This was 4 months ago. Since then, I have soaked my toenails for thirty minutes a day in a mixture of equal amounts of Listerine and vinegar.
A New Fda Approved Treatment For Nail Fungus
I use the same mixture for several nights before discarding. At night I put the Vicks on my toenails and put socks on to sleep (the Vicks does stain your socks!). Because I have been using the Vicks and the Listerine, I don’t know which is actually curing my toenail, but something is working!
My big toenail is almost completely grown out and it is completely healthy. (Although it did take a while for it to start growing in like that.) I cannot believe that it has worked so well. I honestly thought that I would never have a pretty toenail again. Thank you to the ones who have posted about this. I hope this post will help someone. Feel free to ask me questions, and I’ll tell you what I know from my experience.
A. Thanks so much for sharing your story. We find it fascinating that many visitors to our website expect nail fungus remedies to work within a few weeks. Many give up and assume that their foot soaks are a waste of time.
Nail Revitalizer Light Activated Therapy
It takes a long time for nails to grow out. Even powerful oral anti-fungal drugs can take many months to work. We’re glad your patience was rewarded. Keep reading for other stories that support your experience.
Suzy explained: “I’ve been soaking my toes in a 50%/50% solution of Listerine (use Original formula — the Freshmint made my feet green) and apple cider vinegar for 20 minutes each day, faithfully. I clip my toenails once a week. It’s easy to make just enough solution to cover my toes in a small plastic container. With plastic wrap on the surface of the solution, I can keep the air out between soaking sessions. I change the solution every two weeks. “In six weeks, I’ve seen a REMARKABLE difference. The fungus stopped spreading and the solution actually seems to be repairing the damage, it that’s possible. My nails are growing in healthy and they look great. I’ll probably continue to use the solution periodically to prevent this embarrassing fungus from ever coming back. I wish I could tell everyone about this inexpensive and effective solution.” Char reported: “Got that old toe fungus. Read here over a year ago – soak toe in amber Listerine 20 minutes/day, every day. The sender said to do it at the same time every day, which I was not able to do. “Did the soak for a few weeks, got busy, stopped daily but did 2-3 x /week. OH MY GOSH—-had this for 30-40 years, but nail now turned black! After the soak nail growing out nicely. It has about 1/4 inch to go. “But please note this: Hiking a few years ago, my feet became terribly hot so I took a break to cool them. Guess I switched socks, cuz the fungus started on the other toe. Be very wary, and yes spray every shoe, slipper, everything you put on your feet. I had thought of the laser treatment, but it was $900.00 per toe or foot–who cares–too much! “It really pays to check back to this site, as I totally forgot the Vicks! Need reminding on many things AND need the new experiments explained. “Easier, and good to add at nite, what could be easier. Also thinking adding the apple cider vinegar to the Listerine. I have a sad feeling the fungus may be returning as my toe HURTS– and I have not been diligent.”
Not everyone benefits from Listerine, vinegar or Vicks. If you check out our book, The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies, you will learn about cornmeal mush (foot soaks), Pert Plus, hydrogen peroxide, iodine, urine as well as more details about Vicks & Vinegar. In addition you will find some cool remedies for dealing with allergies, arthritis, bug bites, insomnia, plantar fasciitis, and dozens of other common conditions.
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Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.” ReadJoe's Full Bio.
We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.This article was co-authored by Zora Degrandpre, ND. Dr. Zora Degrandpre is a Natural Health Doctor and Licensed Naturopathic Physician in Vancouver, Washington. She is a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She received her ND from the National College of Natural Medicine in 2007.
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Vinegar Foot Soak
Nail fungus refers to a fungal infection that starts underneath your toenails. It could cause discoloration, thickening, or crumbling on one or more of your nails. This is a frustrating problem, so you’ll naturally want to get rid of nail fungus as soon as possible. One remedy you may have heard of is soaking your foot in vinegar to clear the infection. Vinegar is acidic, so it will kill bacteria and fungus.
However, this remedy has very limited success because the vinegar can’t penetrate under the nail. You can try it if you want to, but visit a podiatrist for further treatment if you don’t see any results in 2 weeks.
If you want to try treating your nail fungus with vinegar, then the best thing to do is soak your foot in a vinegar-water mixture. Diluting the vinegar is important to prevent it from irritating your skin. Try a daily soak and see if it helps clear the infection. If not, then don't panic. You can still use more conventional treatments.
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Unfortunately, home remedies like a vinegar soak don’t have a good record for treating nail fungus. This is frustrating, but there are professional options that have much more success. Topical creams may work, but oral medication is most effective for nail fungus. Visit a podiatrist for an exam and follow their instructions to get rid of your nail fungus once and for all.
This article was co-authored by Zora Degrandpre, ND. Dr. Zora Degrandpre is a Natural Health Doctor and Licensed Naturopathic Physician in Vancouver, Washington. She is a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She received her ND from the National College of Natural Medicine in 2007. This article has been viewed 1, 252, 647 times.
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health
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