If the free edge of the nail is covered with uneven white or yellow spots, this indicates an unpleasant medical and cosmetic problem - onychomycosis.Treatment of nail fungus with folk remedies is the first step the patient takes.The reasons for such a decision may be different, but the most important condition is trust in traditional medicine and alternative healing methods.
How does a fungal infection get into the nails?
The color, shape and appearance of the horny plates on the fingers are a reflection of the health of the human body.At the same time, nail fungus negatively affects the body: it leads to allergies, worsening of asthma, allergic dermatitis and complications of diabetes.In addition, nails affected by a fungal infection do not look aesthetically pleasing and cause discomfort to a person.
In any case, you should remember that parasites prefer moist places where spores germinate better.They persist in nail chips, on shoes and towels, on the floors of showers, pools and saunas.
The infection can penetrate the nail anywhere, but most often the free edge of the horny plate serves as the "gateway" for the fungus.It then begins to spread to the nail bed.Food for microscopic fungi is the building material of nails - keratin.As a result, strength is lost, color and structure change.
The pharmaceutical market offers various fungicidal medications, but many people prefer the treatment of toenail fungus with time-tested folk remedies.
Superficial mycoses are easier to cure with folk remedies.However, the fungus can spread, which appears as an increase in the size of the spot, looseness and thickening of the nail, loss of shine and transparency.Brittleness of the nail plate appears, peeling of the skin, pain while walking and at rest.Fungal infection is often accompanied by a bacterial superinfection, which is very difficult to cope with at home.
Steaming and softening - then treating the affected nails
A natural anti-fungal remedy is apple cider vinegar.You will need a large amount of healing liquid, so it is better to make it yourself at home from apples, peels, apple juice or wine (cider).Therapeutic use involves mixing vinegar with an equal amount of warm water and soaking the feet in the solution for a quarter of an hour.Toes and soles are not wiped, but allowed to dry.The procedure is repeated every day until healthy nail plates begin to grow.
Many popular combination medicines for toenail fungus contain ethanol, a strong antiseptic.A solution to treat fungus can be prepared using vinegar, rubbing alcohol and glycerin purchased at a pharmacy (2:2:1).All liquids are mixed well and used for application on the affected areas for a month.
Nail fungus is treated with folk remedies and other simple products.A salt bath has a soothing effect on the affected area.Add 80–100 g of sea or table salt to a liter of warm water.Then it is recommended to massage the feet using vegetable oil and 5 drops of lavender (or oregano) essential oil.The blood supply to the feet improves and the fight against infection is more active.Tar soap is soaked in foam, table salt is added and applied to the nails under a bandage for 7-9 hours (all night).
A foot bath with baking soda (one tablespoon per 1 liter of water) softens and exfoliates damaged keratin.
Propolis has a strong antifungal and antibacterial effect.You can buy a ready-made alcohol solution at a pharmacy and paint your nails every day.To prepare the product yourself, take propolis and alcohol in a ratio of 1:10.Infuse the product for at least a week, strain it from the sediment and use it in the same way as a pharmaceutical drug.Be sure to steam your feet well and cut the softened areas of the nails, only then apply the propolis solution and let the liquid dry completely.
Recipes from ancient times
Treatment of toenail fungus with folk remedies from green plants is best done during the summer holidays.It should be possible to stay home and replace it with a fresh one as the leaf or berry compress dries.Make foot baths with a hot infusion of celandine herb.After steaming for 30 minutes, it is recommended to apply antifungal spray to the affected nails.
Rowan leaves and berries are used, rich in organic acids, triterpene compounds and essential oils.Fresh raw materials are ground into a paste and the resulting suspension is applied to a piece of bandage on the nails affected by the fungus.
Nail fungus is treated at home with nettle or burdock leaves.They wrap the injured nails with them, like a bandage, and leave them overnight.On top you should wear cotton socks.Garlic juice is rubbed into the nails after steaming and removing the softened areas of the nail affected by the fungus.Such procedures are carried out every day for 14 days.Onion juice is used in the same way.
Pharmacy preparations and folk remedies for toenail fungus should only kill or weaken the causative agents of the disease and not disturb the beneficial microflora of the skin.With any treatment option, it must be remembered that the disease does not go away immediately.After the fungus is destroyed or stops growing, it takes 8 to 12 months for new keratin to grow in place of the damaged part.More attention should be paid to personal hygiene.For example, every day, wipe your feet with a cotton swab moistened with 9% table vinegar or formaldehyde solution (1%).
It is important to avoid visiting the pool, sauna, bath during the treatment of fungus and reduce the consumption of sweets.It is necessary to abandon high pH detergents in favor of baby soap or intimate hygiene gel (pH 5.5).The fact is that fungi and bacteria do not like an acidic environment.