Nowadays there are many products available to treat toenail fungus, of these treatments there are oral or topical, and natural or prescription. The topical treatment is often preferred over the systemic medication because the topical treatment has far fewer side effects than the oral. The prescription medication Penlac (Ciclopirox) is a fairly new drug only approved in the United States by the FDA in 1999, and then in 2004 in Canada. This was extremely exciting news in the medical world as the common treatment for toenail fungus until this point was a long harsh regimen of oral anti-fungal medication, which carried a high risk of side affects.

Penlac is a topical anti-fungal in the form of a nail polish. The main ingredient in Penalac is a broad spectrum anti-fungal called Ciclopirox, this anti-fungal works by penetrating the nail and delivering the medication to the nail bed were the fungus lives and grows. The idea behind the Penlac is killing the fungus at the base of the infection will eliminate all infection, without having to resort to systemic medication that has the potential to cause irreversible damage to your organs. It is recommended that the individual applies the medication to the affected nail/s and surrounding tissue daily for up to 12 weeks.

However, if you prefer to stay natural there are several natural topical treatments available on the market. You can purchase any of these natural remedies over the counter at a drug store, or online. There are several products that stand out against many of the rest; one example of this is Zetaclear. Zetaclear can be purchased online with a money back guarantee and offers many success stories for you to read, it offers a natural fungicide and many other natural products to promote healing and healthy skin and nails.

Basically, many of these natural topical products offer the same exact medication, and the only real difference is the price. Every single product should have a list of ingredients available on the website for you to read. Read these ingredients and do some investigating. There are a few ingredients that any toenail fungus medication should have and they are, an active fungicide to kill the fungi, and it would also be helpful if the product promoted the healing of your nail. Remember, if you are simply looking for a natural fungicide you can buy Tea tree oil at any health food store, or pharmacy. Research has shown that a spray, lacquer (polish), or thick ointment is far more effective than a cream.

Your form of treatment is completely up to you, and your doctor. If you should choose to treat yourself with natural medication research several products online, and choose one that you are comfortable with. Keep in mind that natural medicine is powerful, but prescriptive medicine can offer better results if the infection is severe. Contact your doctor and talk it over with them, he or she should be able to tell you if your infection is within the realm of natural treatment. What ever treatment you choose always keep yourself informed of all possible interactions and side effects, after all no one knows you better than you!