“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…”
Make sure only the nails are covered with the Vicks. Try to avoid getting the Vicks on the skin or in between the toes as it might irritate the skin. Apply the Vicks once a day either in the morning or the evening. We recommend wearing socks after you have applied the Vicks.
One common thing that comes up are products that contain menthol. So Vicks VapoRub is a common nail remedy for nail fungus. It probably won't help. But it won't hurt anything either.
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.
Tea Tree Oil
It's a popular treatment for many conditions, including foot fungus. Research shows it works as well as clotrimazole, which is found in many OTC treatments.
Camphor and menthol produce a cooling sensation
Using Vicks VapoRub on your feet or other areas of your body has a cooling effect. This is mainly because of the camphor and menthol. The cooling sensation of the vapor rub may be pleasing and temporarily help you feel better.
A pharmacist can help with fungal nail infections
nail-softening cream – it's used for 2 weeks to soften the nail so the infected part can be scraped off.
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.
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.
What if Nail Removal IS Considered? With laser therapy, topical medications, and oral antifungals in our arsenal, we almost never have to actually remove toenails to treat a fungal infection. It does still remain a rare possibility, however, if the case is extreme or continues to come back.
Terbinafine and itraconazole are the two medicines most commonly prescribed for fungal nail infections. These usually need to be taken once or twice a day for several months to ensure the infection has completely cleared up. If you stop taking the medication too early, the infection may return.
Here are some things you can do to take care of your nails while you have a fungal nail infection: Keep your nails cut short and file down any thick areas. Don't use the same nail trimmer or file on healthy and infected nails.
There's no scientific proof that putting Vicks VapoRub on your feet at night will help ease a cough. However, some people use Vicks on their feet to treat foot fungus, relieve foot pain, and smooth cracked heels. There is more support for some of these off-label uses.
It's unsafe for any use in children under 2 years old. In adults and children age 2 and older, use it only on the neck and chest. Swallowing a few teaspoons of camphor — one of the main ingredients in VapoRub and other topical medications, such as Campho-Phenique and Bengay — can cause deadly poisoning in toddlers.
What Can Vicks Vaporub Do For Eyebrows? Menthol is a compound known to clear pores of irritants so that hair can grow easily while eucalyptus and camphor are both essential oil that stimulate the hair follicles and improve circulation when applied topically.
The antifungal properties also make vinegar soaks a good idea for people who have toenail fungus. Soak your feet for 10 to 15 minutes daily in a vinegar bath until the infection subsides. You can increase the length of time in the soak gradually. It may take two to three weeks or longer to see improvement in symptoms.
Taking antifungal pills for two months can cure an infection under the fingernails. Usually three months of treatment cures a toenail fungal infection.
Topical eucalyptus oil is more effective as an antifungal treatment for fungal infected toenails without nail matrix infection.
Despite its rather rancid scent, vinegar can prove to be quite useful in a wide variety of situations. 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.
Toenail fungus can be tough to get rid of because it can get into and in between those layers. It may also sit on top of the nail or grow underneath it. In some cases, fungus can get into the cells that make the nail, called the nail matrix.
Nail polish gives fungus an environment to thrive in. Non-medicated nail polish can be applied over antifungal nail polish. But it is best to avoid non-medicated nail polish entirely when you want your fungal infection to clear up. Non-medicated nail polish will make the antifungal treatment penetrate the nails slower.