Are you tired of suffering from stubborn and ugly nail infections? Do you long for letting your once beautiful toes see the sunlight again? Do you wonder what it’s going to take to get rid of the fungus?

Over the years we’ve had the opportunity to collect testimonials from people who left comments on ToenailFungusTreatments.com, who have used different types of nail fungus remedies. After analyzing them, we’ve created some useful suggestions for those who want to eliminate nail fungus.

Of course, nothing is ever 100% guaranteed, but if we can learn from others with similar problems, we have a better chance of crossing off one more problem we have from the list that seems to accumulate many problems as we age.

How Doctors Heal Patients

In fact, I was thinking about doctors and how they learn. I know that if you ask any doctor who he or she learned the most from, they will say their patients. In the practice of medicine, a doctor who pays the most attention to the results that their patients are receiving, and makes appropriate adjustments is often the most successful – both with people and against disease.

Recognizing this feedback loop was very valuable, we started collecting reports on remedies from our readers and have been able to create some basic guidelines for anyone with nail fungus problems who wants to use these treatments to get clear nails again.

Guidelines From Our Readers about Nail Fungus Remedies

Remedies for nail fungus are plentiful. Lamisil, a prescription and over-the-counter medication, is often recommended by medical doctors; both general practitioners and dermatologists. Home remedies such as tea tree oil, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, or even Vick’s Vapor Rub could work. Even Star Trek technology has hit the nail fungus scene and doctors may use laser to zap the fungus into infinity. All of these remedies have good possibility of being successful.

Whatever remedy you use, remember that it’s not enough to focus on the remedy itself. You still have to clean the nail – and do it right. And you still have to thoroughly wash your feet daily.

The treatments must reach the nail bed. The fungal infection starts at the nail bed, not on the nail itself. Nail beds are composed of a thick keratin layer and your remedy must penetrate this to get those fungi predators that are lurking below the surface, knowing that they are well out of your reach. Develop a fungi killer mentality, as if you will be relentless about any of their lives!

General foot care is imperative: always trim and file down your nails. Also, don’t hide your feet, as difficult as it may be. Keep your nails and toes well-ventilated. And as much as you want to paint your toenails, don’t do it. Healing will need the area to be undisturbed.

Testimonials Give You a Breadth of Information Not Found Otherwise

With these in mind, let’s examine testimonials on each of the above-mentioned remedies and learn a little background on the fungus, why the remedies work and other great tidbits of info. Now, just for the record, I did make spelling and grammar changes just to make them easier to read.
Tea Tree Oil and Zetaclear

Have you ever thought that it’s possible that our Creator might have realized that sometime in life we could get nail fungal infections and created a natural remedy for it?

The amazing thing is that almost every culture has a different remedy for nail fungus, and all of them have the potential to work. Some of these remedies become popular and carried to other cultures; some may even make newspaper headlines, and others may even be recommended by medical doctors.

Tea tree oil is one such remedy. Patients at the Mayo Clinic often ask about this treatment, which is why they have a page about it on their website at www.mayoclinic.com However, there’s always a problem with natural remedies being recommended by doctors and hospitals who are funded by pharmaceutical companies: a natural remedy such as tea tree oil cannot be patented and doctors and pharmaceutical companies stand to lose money by recommending it.

So don’t expect the Mayo Clinic to be your source for all the positive results obtained in studies. If you received positive results you wouldn’t have a need for an office visit.

Nevertheless, the Mayo Clinic does report that Tea tree oil has been used traditionally to prevent and treat infections and has antiseptic properties. They counter this with a “lack of definitive available evidence”.

The fact of the matter is that the words, “traditionally used to prevent and treat infections”, is in itself a badge of effectiveness. This means that over decades the remedy has been used. And people don’t keep using something that doesn’t work, do they?

Zetaclear is a natural tea tree oil based remedy; it’s simply essential oils combined together for the purpose of supporting healthy nails.

Here are some testimonials on the use of tea tree oil in nail fungus infections:

Ugly Toenail Transformed to Beautiful and Perfect

“I have been using tea tree oil from Melaleuca on my toenail (great toe only) for about six weeks with amazing results! I apply it every night after soaking my feet in the bathtub. I started out by pulling the nail out so the oil would go under the nail as well as on top of it.

Now the nail is really loose in the affected areas, which I am clipping off a little at a time. A beautiful new perfect looking nail is growing up from the bottom! The toe is still pretty ugly but after watching it get worse and worse for the last few years, I am THRILLED! P.S., I went to a podiatrist before starting the treatment and he didn’t even want to discuss anything except oral Lamisil. I decided to try the tea tree oil and I am so glad that I did!”

Results Seen Over 7 Months

I have been using zetaclear and tea tree oil for toenail fungus for about 7 months now. I paint it on my nails every day, and have kept my toenails filed down thin so it will penetrate. The nail fungus looks MUCH better…”

Restored Hope that Healing is On Its Way

“Incredible!! My dermatologist couldn’t be bother & wanted me to spend big $ for the podiatrist. Vicks & OTC did not work for months! Tea Tree Oil after a month has had a positive effect. Still at it!! But hopeful now!”

Tea Tree Oil Works!

“I have had a nail fungus for several years. The fungus discolored about half of my big toenail. I have been using tea tree oil daily for 8 weeks. The discoloration has moved up the nail and the fresh nail is natural colored. I believe that it will take about 6 more weeks to eliminate the fungus completely.”

Discovered that Naked Nails are Necessary for Healing

“I’ve had fungus on both big toes and both little toes for years. Let it go for years, ignored it, and kept getting pedicures for YEARS!!!! Well, over a year ago I decided to try formula 3 which didn’t do much.

Just about 3 mos. ago I started DMSO and tea tree oil. Well, it’s working. I apply with a nail polish brush from a nail polish bottle and mix equal amounts of the DMSO and tea tree oil. My nails take a long time to grow but are finally almost grown out and what a difference.

I had a dermatologist tell me a couple mos. ago that it’s really difficult to get rid of nail fungus infections and to just forget it and get them painted. Wow, nice doctor!

The jury is still out on an absolute cure but they are definitely improving and I feel it’s almost cured! Don’t get a pedicure and get them painted. This will only prolong the infection and actually will be a waste of your time. Your nails must remain naked the whole time you’re treating them.”

Worked on Intestines Simultaneously with Probiotics

“I cut my nail down as far as I could with nail clippers, then filed the top, too. I used a metal file to clean under the nail after every shower. I then put tree tea oil on it in the form of Zetaclear. The bottle had a brush in it. I began taking probiotics and I think this is what did the trick. It is a very expensive bottle – $60 for a small bottle, but after 3 months it is gone!”

Never Give Up on Nail Fungus

“I had nail fungus for many years. I tried ALL of the remedies including tea tree oil, Listerine, oregano oil, bleach, hydrogen peroxide and others. Finally tried a product called Zetaclear. This stuff cleared my nails in only a few months. Good stuff.”

Vick’s Vapor Rub Works for More than Chest Ailments

Vick’s Vapor Rub is a unique combination of petroleum jelly and oils along with active ingredients that can fight the infection, such as menthol. Let’s find out what happened when people used it on their nail infections.

Test Between Lamisil Versus Vick’s Vapor Rub

“I’ve had toenail fungus for 25 years. My wife asked her doctor to prescribe oral Lamisil but an assistant mentioned he was doing a study on Vick’s Vapor Rub. She took the Lamisil and I decided to try Vicks. She totally cleared up hers in 3 months and so did I!

I got complacent and stopped Vicks after 6 months and the fungus returned in 6 weeks. Hers did not return. So Vicks requires a lifetime commitment.

Here’s the method of how to do it:
First, wash your feet very well.
Then exfoliate any dead skin from under and around the nails, where possible.
Apply Vicks under the nail where possible and slather on top of nails.
Whenever possible go barefoot, but the Vicks can leave grease stains, so be careful where you walk.
Apply twice a day.
Don’t stop for a day. Be committed and scientific about the process and I’m sure some of you will have the same results.”

Some Remedies Take Time and Effort

“The doctor is right. It’s the camphor in Vicks or other products that kills the fungus. But it takes work and time. Apply the Vicks to a nail that has been roughed up with a coarse emory board. Apply the Vicks with a q-tip and then put a band-aid over it; otherwise, it is soon rubbed off. Depending on the severity, this will take several months of constant daily application of replacing the band-aid daily. I’ve done it and it worked perfectly on a nail that had been infected for 20+ years.”

“For Vick’s to work you must use it everyday, it can take up to six months. Use a toothbrush to apply, making sure that you get into all the little crevices.”

Weak Immune System Can Predispose You to Fungal Infections

“I suffer from a faulty immune system and am prone to frequent fungal infections. One of the best treatments for nail fungus is to use an emery board to thin the entire nail. I try to make sure that I do it while the nail is a little damp to avoid creating too much nail dust with fungal spores in it. I do this the first time and again as needed to keep the nail thin and more permeable.

Then I begin to rub in Vicks VapoRub. Store brands are acceptable but I tend to still go for the name brand. I continue to apply the Vicks twice a day for several weeks and it works. It has all sort of natural oils in it that create an inhospitable environment and kills the fungus.

Remember to swab around the nail and all your nails just to be sure that you catch anything that may be starting up. These fungi eat keratin, the hard material that nails and hair are comprised of. A toenail infection can spread to fingernails, and even to hair. It is also very contagious and spread between family members.

I recommend having the afflicted family member wear flip-flops in the shower and for good measure I will pour a little white vinegar in the shower/tub after someone takes a shower.

Another affordable way to deal with nail fungus is to thin the nails with an emory board and using a cotton ball swab the nails with Listerine. These approaches are more affordable and less complicated than the beer method, etc. Best of luck to you all.”

Fungal Nail Infections Can Spread to Other Nails

“When I was in rehab after hip surgery, they cut my toenails, and I didn’t want to criticize them but they went from one toe to the next after trimming the big toenail that had the terrible fungus. It didn’t take long for every nail to show the beginnings of a fungal infection.

That was 4 years ago and I’ve battled it ever since… until 2 weeks ago, when I rubbed Vicks Vaporub under and over every nail. I am so pleased with the outcome. They look sooooo much better now. They aren’t totally clear, but it’s improving everyday. Please try it and report your findings on here in about two weeks. Good luck.”

Vinegar: The Kitchen Remedy that Housewives Love

Vinegar is really an acid; it’s called acetic acid. Acetic acid can destroy the dermatophytes, microbes that feed on the skin, and cause nail infections. The official term for nail infections is onychomycosis.

When using vinegar, soak the affected nails of the hands or feet in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water for only 20 minutes a day.

This is the same procedure that you can use for Listerine; just replace the vinegar with Listerine.

Soak with Vinegar and Forget the Rest

“I wish I would have started vinegar baths WAY sooner. I let my big toe get worse and worse, just covered it with nail polish until it was just hollow with fungus underneath, and then turned black with bacterial infection.

Then I tried a holistic remedy that included oregano extracts and a lot of other agents that dried it out a lot and now it has cracked in half down the middle.

Finally I read up and discovered most chat rooms promote vinegar. I have been soaking my foot twice a day for about a month, and the three affected nails are (slowly) growing in smooth and pink. But the big toe has just a fraction of a nail right now – with the two sides of the old nail flapping over it like shutters. I am keeping it there, and tape it closed with a band-aid during the day just to protect the nail bed. My advice is to soak with vinegar, and forget the rest.”

Fungal Spores are Like Eggs Waiting to Hatch

“Apple Cider Vinegar actually changes the pH balance of the foot. This creates an environment that the fungus cannot survive in. Think of a human surviving in an environment without oxygen. Same thing.

Spores can and will survive, waiting for the right conditions to exist however; so this pH balance will have to be maintained or the fungus will once again come to life. Like eggs waiting to hatch.”

3. Hydrogen Peroxide Cleans Wounds and Fungus

Hydrogen peroxide is nothing but oxygen and hydrogen molecules together. It’s an oxidizer that is capable of being used as a cleaning agent, as bacteria is killed when it comes into contact with the peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide is a translucent, colorless liquid, slightly more viscous than water.

Use Precautionary Tactics As Well

“I have used peroxide with great success. I have not fully gotten rid of it, but my condition is much, much better. I try to pour some on the infected nail every time I get out of the shower. After I cut my toenails, I pour some on the nails as a disinfectant.”

Remedies Combined are Better than Remedies by Themselves

“I found the best remedy for my fungus: mix a 50/50 combination of apple cider vinegar and 3% hydrogen peroxide. Apply to the nails until no more fizz bubbles come out. Then mix it in a 50/50 combination of water and bleach. If the fungus is really bad, add more bleach and soak your toes in this mixture for 30-40 seconds. Then rinse and dry your toes.

Next mix tea tree oil with petroleum jelly (vaseline) and apply it to the nail. Cover with a band aid so it’ll stay on all day long. The fungus will be gone within a week.

Quick tip: I filed down my nail to make it thinner so the mixtures would hit the fungus directly, this works faster.”

Lamisil, Doctor’s Choice for OTC & Prescription Medication

The medical profession generally uses terbinafine hydrochloride (Lamisil) for nail infections, which are technically called onychomycosis. Lamisil works by inhibiting the enzyme responsible for creating the cell wall of the fungi. Without a cell wall, fungi can’t live or reproduce.

Direct Attack on Fungi To Prevent Reproduction Works

“I have used a combination of Lamasil applied in the PM and Nail Rx applied in the AM for about 6 months on my large toenails. It is working very, very well. All of the new toenail growth is clear and appears fungus-free.

I will keep using it until all the old yellow nail grows out, which may take another 6-12 months. Lamacil and Nail Rx have different active ingredients, so I thought I would have a better shot using both patience and regularity; fungal spores are only vulnerable for a short time after they hatch, and the spores multiply only about once a month. It can take a long time to get them all.”

Push the Topical Creams Under the Nail for Best Results

I’ve been using Lamasil topical cream for my big toenail infection. While using a nail file to push the cream under the nail, 2 months later with once a day application, the nail is clear colored and there is no more curving and burrowing in the skin. Also have been using iodine and pushing it under the nail. All the topical solutions do penetrate the nail, so lift the nail up a bit with a file and push the iodine or Lamasil in there. Hope it works for you also.”

5. Laser Treatment: Is Star Trek Technology Working Yet?

“I spent nearly $600 over a 4-month period for three laser treatments on a single toe with no improvement. It was ineffective and not worth the $$. I’d recommend saving your money and avoiding laser treatment for toe fungus until more R&D is done. It did not work for me, and I only have fungus beneath one of my large toenails.”

Very Expensive Medical Treatment Didn’t Profit Her

“I have had the three Pinpoint laser treatments for nail fungus with little improvement. Some of the least infected nails have improved some but not the ones with more fungus. I know every patient is different but before you spend $1000 or more, be ready for the fact that you could be very disappointed. Spent $1000 to wear sandals but the bad nails still look bad. Save your money.”

Expensive Laser Treatment Zapped Her Wallet, Too

“I had Pinpointe Laser treatments. I had two treatments within 10 months and I thought my toenails were improving, but they are NOT. I’m so upset I could cry. The cost to me was a little over $1000 and I had to drive over 2 hours in order to have the treatment done. I feel. I think I’m just doomed to have this forever. BTW, I also purchased Steri-Shoe when I had my first treatment.”

If you use a combination of different treatments, you have a greater chance of success. This is because an individual only attacks the fungi on one level. For example, the antimicrobial effects of tea tree oil will have one specific effect on the fungus and take a certain length of time to work. However, if you added a second treatment that interfered with the reproduction of the fungi, now you’ve initiated a second line of defense against the infection.

Imagine what would happen if you added a third remedy and possibly a fourth. Attacking the fungi from four different perspectives can give you results in a shorter period of time. And that’s really what you want, isn’t it?

There is no such thing as a quick cure for nail infections. That’s because the nail is slow-growing, taking about six months to grow fully out. Any infected part of the nail must grow out. Thus, you need a lot of patience.

Once the new nail growing out is not infected, you have cured it. Below is my best treatment for toenail fungus. I want you to have it and be able to show your pretty feet to the world again!

Tom’s Toenail Fungus Treatment

1. Always dry feet and toes thoroughly after bath/shower. No pedicures at all and keep nails short. Use a fungicide powder like Lamisil or Desenex and be sure it gets into all nail corners.

2. Alternate two or three remedies and use twice a day. I like Lamisil cream, Fungi cure (paints on) and tea tree oil which is the best anti-fungal in the world. Alternating really helps because it keeps surprising your fungus with a new attack.

3. Acid footbaths (like Listerine or vinegar) help but they are no substitute for continuous topical applications, like described above.

4. The internal meds are very dangerous. You don’t need them if you are patient and keep at it. If you must take something, take acidophilus which is great for you anyway.

With all these new ideas for how to eliminate toenail fungus presented in this article, your head may be spinning with the possibility of a bright future. The best way to start is to select two or three remedies and use them together. Keep a journal of what your strategy is and your daily progress. Write the guidelines in your journal so you recall them now and in the future. Your journal can help others who have toenail fungal infections,

Since there are thousands of people suffering from toenail fungal infections, referring back to your journal for specific details can make a big difference in their lives. And that’s what life is all about – overcoming obstacles so that others may also benefit!