How To Get Rid Of Fungal Nail

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The 2 most successful ways to get rid of fungal nail are:

1) Oral – medication prescribed by your doctor.

2) Micro Drilling, for example, The Lacuna method – Carried out by a foot health practitioner or podiatrist.

The oral method is offered here in the UK by your local GP on the NHS and the micro-drilling method (known as the lacuna method) is offered by many qualified foot care professionals and podiatrists, who have completed the course. I completed the lacuna method course last year. And have many successful treatments of it with patients who are now fungal nail free. (If you are in the Felixstowe or surrounding villages, contact me here to arrange a consultation.

Read my Lacuna method treatment guide here

Otherwise, look up your nearest foot care specialist and ask if they do fungal nail micro-drilling treatments.

What Is Fungal Nail?

Fungal nail is a fungal infection not too dissimilar to athletes foot. In fact, most fungal nail infections are caused by athletes foot. Some fungi aren’t from athletes foot but molds and yeasts that arrive on your skin and develop until they start to grow in your nail bed. Remember Granny always telling you to make sure you wash between your toes? Well, this is because molds and fungi love warm damp places and between your toes is a nice place to be for a fungal infection to set up home!

How Do I know If I Have a Fungal Nail Infection?

Fungal nail infections are very common. At any one time there are approximately 1 in 4 people with some stage of fungal nail infection

Source – The British Association Of Dermatologists Website

Initially, you will see nothing to indicate you have an infection. The infection usually starts at the open end of a nail and slowly infects the rest of your nail as well as infecting other nails. After a while, your infected nail will become thicker and will hurt when pressed down upon, when it’s in a shoe for instance. This can become quite uncomfortable and painful. The nail will also become discoloured, cracked, and unpleasant to look at. More difficult to cover up if its a fingernail rather than a toenail!

How To Prevent Fungal Nail

Avoid getting it in the first place is the best advice!

They say prevention is better than cure. And its certainly true with fungal nail.

Top Ten Tips For Avoiding Fungal Nail:

Good foot hygiene-keep your feet clean and always dry them properly.
Keep your toenails well-trimmed, frequently.
Always wear clean socks or stockings every day
Try and avoid wearing hot, sweaty trainers or boots all day. Try and keep your feet well ventilated when possible.
Don’t share other peoples towels
Comfortable fitting shoes and boots-Not too tight and throw away your old shoes
Always treat Athletes foot as soon as possible to avoid it spreading to your nails.
Don’t wear other peoples shoes
Use your own nail clippers – don’t share
Wear flip flops or some foot covering when in public showers or around swimming pools

NHS fungal nail information page

What Is The Most Effective Treatment For Toenail Fungus?

Two Most Successful Fungal Nail Treatments:

Oral Treatment

This is provided by prescription medication from your GP in the UK. It involves taking an anti-fungal tablet every day orally, for up to 6 months. This will clear up the infection by allowing healthy nail growth that is not infected to replace your damaged, infected nails. It will involve having to have some blood tests as in very rare cases it can cause some liver problems. Other side effects can include:-

Headaches
loss of taste
Itching
Diarrhoea
In rare cases liver damage

Source: NHS Website

Your blood is checked for any signs of liver problems at the beginning of the course of treatment and later on just to be sure it isn’t producing any side effects with your liver.

Micro Drilling Method.

This must be carried out only by a trained foot health practitioner or podiatrist.

This is often referred to as the lacuna method and it involves the footcare specialist micro-drilling several holes in your infected nail (quite painless). The idea is that the human nail is fundamentally waterproof so that it can protect your nail bed. Fungal nail actually resides underneath your toenail in the nail bed and that’s where you need to apply the treatment. So by creating holes in your nail the liquid treatment is able to penetrate down onto the bed and start destroying your infection at the root cause. This incidentally is why so many of my patients say that they have tried this treatment and that treatment but nothing seems to work. It is because it can get through your waterproof nail to the nail bed. So a professional, fully qualified foot care specialist puts holes in your nail, and hey presto, your nail is no longer waterproof.

Other Treatments You Can Buy

So you may be thinking if there are really only two methods of fungal nail treatment – oral & the lacuna method why are the shelves and Amazon full of so many treatments all claiming to get rid of your fungal nail fast?

Well, the 2 main methods I have mentioned do take a long time to work. The lacuna method can take 6 months or longer all depending on how fast your nails are growing. Before you have beautiful shiny looking healthy nails. Also, there are costs involved – prescription charges in the Uk and the lacuna method can be a costly treatment.

Many of the other products offered for sale are relatively cheap and some can work if your fungal nail infection isn’t too bad. If for instance you just have a small toenail infected a little on the end of your nail. It is possible that a treatment of —– might just catch it and remove it for you without having to go for the more time consuming and more expensive treatment from a footcare professional.

Most of the patients I see have already “Spent a small fortune” on various creams and liquids they have bought from the chemist before they give up trying to treat it themselves and reach out to their doctor or someone like myself.

Here are some treatments you could try before making that call to someone like myself or your doctor.