How to clean toenail fungus

Treatment usually begins with your dermatologist trimming your infected nail(s), cutting back each infected nail to the place where it attaches to your finger or toe. Your dermatologist may also scrape away debris under the nail. This helps get rid of some fungus.

Oral antifungal drugs.

Options include terbinafine (Lamisil) and itraconazole (Sporanox). These drugs help a new nail grow free of infection, slowly replacing the infected part. You typically take this type of medicine for six to 12 weeks. But you won’t see the end result of treatment until the nail grows back completely.

Put nail clippers into a small bowl of boiling hot water, scrub with a toothbrush, wipe with rubbing alcohol and dry with a clean towel. Bleach is a very good disinfectant: Soak nail clippers and tools in undiluted bleach and wipe them dry with a paper towel.

Nail psoriasis sometimes causes too much keratin to grow under the nail. This overgrowth is called subungual hyperkeratosis. People with hyperkeratosis may notice a white, chalky substance under the nail. When this occurs in the toenails, the pressure of shoes pushing down on the nails might cause pain.

Hydrogen peroxide can kill fungus that grows on toenails. You can directly wipe hydrogen peroxide on your infected toes or toenails with a clean cloth or cotton swab. Hydrogen peroxide can also be used in a foot soak.

Sometimes untreated toenail fungus can spread to the surrounding skin on the foot. This may result in athlete’s foot, a condition marked by itchy, red, cracked skin.

Fungal nail infection can develop in people at any age, but it’s more common in older adults. As the nail ages, it can become brittle and dry. The resulting breaks in the nails allow fungi to enter. Other factors — such as reduced blood circulation to the feet and a weakened immune system — also may play a role.

Is toenail fungus contagious? Yes, many types of toenail fungi are quite contagious. An infected person can spread the fungus to someone else through direct contact. You can also get toenail fungus by touching an infected surface.

Nail fungus can be resistant to treatment and nails take a long time to grow out, so it can take several weeks or months for an infection to be fully resolved. You will know that the treatment is working and the infection is clearing up when you see growth of a new, healthy nail from the base of the nail bed.

It is possible to get fungal infections that do spread to the bone, which is a very serious condition. Ultimately, when it comes to toenail fungus, since it can be spread to other parts of the body, and can spread internally, it is worth dealing with it as soon as you notice it.

Wear clean, breathable socks to bed.

If you share a bed with another person, the fungus may transfer to them via shared linens. Wearing clean socks to bed and washing sheets regularly minimizes transmission risk.

Toenail fungus, called onychomycosis, lurks in shoes and boots where moisture is easily trapped, and fungal spores can remain alive and active from 12 to 20 months.

Ingrown toenail

Ingrown toenails are a common condition in which the corner or side of a toenail grows into the soft flesh. The result is pain, redness, swelling and, sometimes, an infection. Ingrown toenails usually affect your big toe. Often you can take care of ingrown toenails on your own.

An ingrown toenail is a common cause of pain or discomfort in the big toe. It can occur if a person cuts their toenail too short or curves it in too far when cutting it. Wearing tight shoes may aggravate or even cause an ingrown toenail.

Morton’s toe, or Morton’s foot, describes the condition where your second toe looks longer than your big toe. It’s very common: Some people just have it and others don’t. In some people, Morton’s toe may increase the chances of calluses forming on the sole of your foot and some other foot pains.

The cause is most often either: ill-fitting shoes (sure, those tight pointy pumps look great), improperly trimmed toenails (usually too short), or an injury, such as stubbing your toe. If you’re an avid walker, runner, or participate in sports, footwear that’s even slightly tight can result in an ingrown toenail.