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What are the Best Natural Remedies for Toenail Fungus?

Misty Amber Brighton
Misty Amber Brighton

Many natural remedies for toenail fungus involve soaking the foot in apple cider vinegar, along with other ingredients. A person could also place a few drops of tea tree oil on the affected area twice a day. Vicks® VapoRub® applied in this manner might also be helpful. Good foot hygiene, coupled with trimming and filing the nails on a regular basis, is typically required in most methods of treatment.

Many individuals report soaking the affected foot in a solution of apple cider vinegar to be especially helpful. This can be done full-strength or by adding approximately one cup (.24 l) of this product to a tub full of hot water.

Antiseptic mouthwash may be helpful when treating a toenail fungus.
Antiseptic mouthwash may be helpful when treating a toenail fungus.

Apple cider vinegar might also be used in conjunction with other ingredients, such as epsom salt or Listerine® antiseptic mouthwash. A patient could add a few drops of either of these products to a foot tub, along with the vinegar. It is believed that the apple cider vinegar serves to exfoliate the infected nail, while epsom salt and Listerine® work to kill the fungus. One of these natural remedies for toenail fungus might produce results after only a few days for some people.

Vinegar is a popular remedy for toenail fungus.
Vinegar is a popular remedy for toenail fungus.

Tea tree oil or Vicks® VapoRub® are two natural remedies for toenail fungus that are relatively simple to use. This generally involves placing the product on a cotton swab and dabbing it on the affected area. A little could be placed underneath the toenail as well. Care should be taken not to apply either of these products to areas that have broken skin, as it could cause irritation.

Apple cider vinegar is a popular option to treat toenail fungus.
Apple cider vinegar is a popular option to treat toenail fungus.

People who suffer from this disorder should take care to keep their feet especially clean. This is true no matter what natural remedies for toenail fungus they might choose to use. Generally speaking, feet should be soaked once or twice daily and toenails filed with a disposable emery board. The nails should be clipped often in order to remove infected tissue.

Many home remedies for toenail fungus involve soaking the foot in apple cider vinegar.
Many home remedies for toenail fungus involve soaking the foot in apple cider vinegar.

Natural remedies for toenail fungus can take several weeks or even months to totally alleviate the problem. It is therefore very important that people who suffer from this condition be diligent in sticking with a treatment plan. Doing so may allow them to improve their situations without medications that might have harmful side effects. Natural treatment can ultimately positively affect overall health and well-being, while saving sufferers money on drugs and avoiding potential surgery to remove badly infected toenails.

Discussion Comments

candyquilt

I tried camphor and eucalyptus for my toenail fungus. Neither of them worked. I think that vinegar is the best natural toenail fungus treatment. But putting vinegar in foot soaks was not enough. I had to soak a cotton ball in vinegar and apply that directly to my nail.

SteamLouis

@ysmina-- I don't know about the other remedies, but tea tree oil works for all toenail fungi. I had onychomycosis before and I have family members who have had other types of toenail fungus. We all have had success with tea tree oil.

It takes some time for tea tree oil to work, but that's true for all natural remedies. It's still much better than prescription medication because anti-fungal medications are known to damage the liver and kidneys.

All you have to do is apply the tea tree oil directly on the affected nails. But you have to be diligent and do it every single day until you are sure that the infection is completely gone. I applied tea tree oil to my black toenail fungus two to three times a day for more than a month. I think it was treated in three to four weeks, but I wanted to make sure so I continued with the treatment for a while longer.

ysmina

Will these remedies get rid of all toenail fungus?

What's the best remedy for black toenail fungus (onychomycosis)?

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    • Antiseptic mouthwash may be helpful when treating a toenail fungus.
      By: ijacky
      Antiseptic mouthwash may be helpful when treating a toenail fungus.
    • Vinegar is a popular remedy for toenail fungus.
      By: Melinda Nagy
      Vinegar is a popular remedy for toenail fungus.
    • Apple cider vinegar is a popular option to treat toenail fungus.
      By: Comugnero Silvana
      Apple cider vinegar is a popular option to treat toenail fungus.
    • Many home remedies for toenail fungus involve soaking the foot in apple cider vinegar.
      By: Tandem
      Many home remedies for toenail fungus involve soaking the foot in apple cider vinegar.