That pedicure you shelled out big bucks for may have left you with an unwelcome gift: onychomycosis, otherwise known as nail fungus. Or maybe it’s a souvenir from the shared showers at your gym or your barefoot walks around the public pool.
Although it starts innocuously enough, as a white or yellow spot underneath your finger or toenail, your nail can start to thicken and even crumble as the fungus penetrates deeper and deeper. Ick. And fungus is more likely to appear and persist in your toenails because your tootsies are often confined in the warm, moist environment of your shoes, where these little buggers can thrive.
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If you see a dermatologist, you’ll most likely get a prescription for an antifungal oral medication such as Lamisil or Sporanox, which tend to be expensive, don’t always work, and carry side effects ranging from skin rashes to potentially toxic liver damage. “That’s not pleasant, which is why so many people look for a drug-free alternative,” says pharmacologist Joe Graedon. Here are some of Graedon’s top drug-free remedies for toenail fungus:
VICKS VAPORUB
It contains known antifungal ingredients such as camphor and eucalyptus oil, Graedon says. In a U.S. study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 83 per cent of people who used a cotton swab to apply a small amount of Vicks VapoRub to an affected nail at least once a day reported improvement, with almost 20 per cent getting rid of the infection entirely.
LISTERINE AND WHITE VINEGAR
The mouthwash has ingredients such as thymol and menthol that have antifungal properties, and the vinegar is acidic, which makes an inhospitable environment for fungi. Combine the two in equal portions and soak your toes in the solution, ideally for 45 to 60 minutes daily.
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CORNMEAL
“We’ve heard from people that this has gotten rid of fungus,” Graedon says. Cornmeal has long been used as a way to banish black-spot fungal disease from roses, so it must have some sort of antifungal activity. Pour cornmeal into a shallow pan, mix it with water hot enough to dissolve it into a paste, let it cool, and then soak your feet in it for an hour a week.
PAU D’ARCO TEA
This inner bark of a South American tree contains antifungal compounds, and laboratory studies suggest that it’s as effective as antifungal prescription medication. Soak your feet twice a day for 20 minutes in an infusion made from two pau d’arco tea bags.
TEA TREE OR OREGANO OIL
Tea tree oil has been used for many years to combat skin conditions, especially fungal infections, says Graedon. Oregano oil contains thymol, which also has antifungal properties. Dab a few drops of oil on affected nails twice daily.
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