Tea Tree Oil It is an essential oil traditionally used as an antibacterial and antifungal treatment. Early research shows that it may help with nail fungus when used topically. However, more research is needed. If you do use tea tree oil for toenail fungus, only use it topically.
When used topically, tea tree oil is believed to be antibacterial. Tea tree oil is commonly used to treat acne, athlete's foot, lice, nail fungus and insect bites.
Share on Pinterest A person can apply tea tree oil to a nail using a cotton ball. Although the research on tea tree oil and nail fungus is unclear, the oil does appear to have some antifungal properties. Some people may, therefore, wish to try it alongside conventional treatments for nail fungus.
The fastest way to eliminate the infection is through toenail laser treatment. Laser nail therapy specifically targets the microorganisms under your nail while leaving the keratin intact. In just a few treatments, the infection can be entirely eliminated.
This can help with reducing infections, strengthening the nails, and preventing nail splitting, discoloration, and breakages. There are many different products available containing tea tree oil. However, individuals need to dilute essential oils with a carrier oil before applying them to the skin or nails.
Your health care provider may prescribe an antifungal cream, such as efinaconazole (Jublia) and tavaborole (Kerydin). You rub this product into your infected nails after soaking. These creams may work better if you first thin the nails.
You'll know that the medication is working and the toenail fungus is dying when your toenail changes back to its natural color, decreases in thickness, shows healthy new growth, and you see a clear delineation between the infected part of the toenail and your new nail growth.
Undiluted tea-tree oil is a pure natural product. In the presence of atmospheric oxygen but also when exposed to light and higher temperatures, oxidation processes occur leading to the formation of peroxides, epoxides and endoperoxides which have a sensitising potency and may trigger allergic skin reactions.
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.
Research has shown that applications 2 times per day of 100% tea tree oil cured 18% of the nail fungal infections.
At-Home Remedies
Vaporizing ointment: Although designed to relieve cold symptoms, the active ingredients in vaporizing ointment—camphor and eucalyptus oil—can also treat toenail fungus. Apply a small amount once a day. Tea tree oil: This essential oil has antifungal and antiseptic properties.
“Applying Vicks VapoRub to fungus-infected toenails can clear up the notoriously hard-to-treat condition. Michigan State University clinicians found that applying the product daily to the infected nail cleared the condition in 32 of 85 patients, though it took anywhere from 5 to 16 months…”
If toenail fungus is left untreated, it can spread to the surrounding skin on the foot, causing another condition known as athlete's foot. An athlete's foot is a condition resulting in itchy, red, and cracked skin, which can become very uncomfortable.
As the infection progresses, nails will often become thickened, crumbly and malformed. Although the fungus affects the appearance of the nails, it actually lives on the layer directly beneath the toenail. That's why it's so difficult to treat.
The old infected nail should begin to grow out and can be gradually clipped away. Antifungal treatments are thought to be effective in treating about 60 to 80% of fungal nail infections.
The best type of vinegar to treat toenail fungus is apple cider vinegar, a very acidic and strong solution that destroys toenail fungus at the source. To take full advantage of this, mix one cup of apple cider vinegar with at least 2 cups of water – this will dilute the vinegar so that it won't burn your skin.
What causes nail fungus? Tiny, microscopic organisms called fungi (the plural of fungus) cause a fungal nail infection. Many people pick up the fungi when they have skin-to-skin contact with someone who has a fungal infection such as athlete's foot or ringworm on their hands.
Effective products include efinaconazole (Jublia), tavaborole (Kerydin) and ciclopirox (Penlac). All require daily applications, and it may take as long as a year to see noticeable improvement. These products may work for early, superficial fungal infections because they kill fungi on the surface of the nail.
As tea tree oil is such a potent ingredient, you should never apply it directly onto your skin. Instead, it should be added to a gentle carrier oil such as coconut oil, olive oil, or almond oil.
Carrier oils dilute the potency of tea tree oil and should always be mixed with essential oils when applied to the skin. Almond oil, avocado oil, olive oil, and sunflower oil are all safe carrier oils to use with tea tree oil. For every one to two drops of tea tree oil, add 12 drops of carrier oil.