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 methods of treatment.
How does the fungal infection get into the nail?
The color, shape and appearance of the horny plates of 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 allergy, exacerbation 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 filings, on shoes and towels, on the floors of showers, swimming pools and saunas.
The infection can penetrate the nail anywhere, but more often the free edge of the horn plate serves as the "door" 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 drugs, but many people prefer to treat toenail fungus with time-tested folk remedies.
Superficial mycoses are more easily treated with folk remedies.However, the fungus can spread, which appears as an increase in the size of the spot, loosening and thickening of the nail, loss of shine and transparency.There is brittleness of the nail plate, peeling of the skin, pain when walking and at rest.A fungal infection is often accompanied by a bacterial superinfection, which is very difficult to deal with at home.
Steaming and softening - then treating the affected nails
Apple cider vinegar is a natural antifungal agent.You will need a large amount of healing liquid, so it is better to prepare 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 feet are not wiped, but left to dry.The procedure is repeated daily until healthy nail plates begin to grow.
Many combined folk remedies for the treatment of toenail fungus contain ethanol, a strong antiseptic.A solution for the treatment of fungus can be prepared from vinegar, alcohol and glycerin purchased from the pharmacy (2:2:1).All the liquids are mixed well and used to apply 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 one liter of warm water.Then it is recommended to massage your feet with 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.The tar soap is whipped into foam, table salt is added and applied to the nails under a bandage for 7-9 hours (overnight).
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 tincture at the pharmacy and lubricate your nails daily.To prepare the product yourself, take propolis and alcohol in a ratio of 1:10.Allow the product to infuse for at least a week, strain it from the sediment and use it in the same way as a pharmaceutical drug.Do not forget to steam your feet well and cut the softened areas of the nails, only then apply propolis tincture and let the liquid dry completely.
Recipes from time immemorial
Treatment of toenail fungus with folk remedies from green plants is best done during summer vacation.You should be able to stay home and replace it with a fresh one as the leaf or fruit compress dries out.Make foot baths with a hot infusion of celandine.After steaming for 30 minutes, it is recommended to apply an antifungal varnish to the affected nails.
Rowan leaves and fruits are used, rich in organic acids, triterpene compounds and essential oils.Fresh raw materials are ground to a paste state and the resulting suspension is applied to a piece of bandage on the nails affected by the fungus.
Nail mycosis is treated at home with nettle or burdock leaves.The sick nails are wrapped with them, like a bandage, and left overnight.You should wear cotton socks on top.Garlic juice is rubbed into the nails after evaporation and removal of the softened areas of the nail affected by fungus.Such procedures are carried out daily for 14 days.Onion juice is also used in the same way.
Pharmaceutical preparations and folk remedies for the treatment of toenail fungus should kill or weaken only 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 disappear immediately.After the fungus is destroyed or its development stopped, 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 a pool, sauna, bath during the treatment of fungus and reduce the consumption of sweets.It is necessary to abandon detergents with a high pH in favor of baby soap or gel for intimate hygiene (pH 5.5).The fact is that fungi and bacteria do not like an acidic environment.