Homemade Remedies To Stop Nail Fungus... Do They Work?
Some have claimed that nail fungus can be stopped without the need for expensive prescription drugs. We want to know if you have tried any homemade remedies and if it cured your nail fungus. A growing number of people who have been suffering from ugly nail fungus have reported varying levels of success using homemade anti-fungal solutions. Everything from household cleaning solutions to Vicks Vapor Rub has been said to cure fungus under the nails. Since prescription treatments such as Lamasil and other topical solutions cost a large sum of money it may be worthwhile to try these alternatives as you really have nothing to lose except ugly nail fungus. Here's a quick rundown of some popular homemade treatments that may stop nail fungus.Vinegar
White distilled vinegar is perhaps the cheapest and easiest household item to use to fight nail fungus. It apparently yields great results so long as you use it several times each day continuously without fail. You can either soak your fingers and toes in a bowl of vinegar or better yet use a small brush to apply it to the affected nails with little fuss.It is said that the acidic content of vinegar inhibits the growth of fungus and continued use allows a clear and healthy nail to grow. Given how cheap and readily available vinegar is it should be tried as many have reported great results.
Vicks Vapor Rub
The smelly ointment that came in a little blue jar that your Mother used to apply on your chest when you were congested as a child apparently does a really good job at stopping nail fungus. Not sure why it works, but I noticed that turpentine oil is an ingredient in Vick's Vapor Rub and I do recall that after painting one day I used turpentine to wash my hands and noticed the next day that one of my nails that had a fungus infection looked much clearer than before.Since it does have a distinct smell it is best to apply this onto each fungus infected nail before going to bed and then washing it off the next morning and then follow up by brushing on some vinegar as described above.
Other Homemade Fungus Remedies
We will be adding other homemade treatments that stop fungus shortly, but we want to hear from you and your success stories. Please use the form below to tell us what works and how you use it. By posting your comments and experiences you may help others get rid of nail fungus so start posting.
YOUR COMMENTS
This is really encouraging. I have been applying the Vicks Vapor Rub to my toenails for the past month and I can see the clear nail starting to grow at the base!!! It seems to take forever, but I hope this works to kill the nail fungus entirely as it's the most promising out of all the things I've tried. Fingers and toes crossed!
Kelly | Nov 17, 06 | 1:43 pm
Apple Cider Vinegar might help reduce nail fungus too. it helps against dandruff.
i read this on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar
"Cider vinegar is also claimed to be a solution to dandruff, in that the acid in the vinegar kills the fungus Malassezia furfur (formerly known as Pityrosporum ovale) and restores the chemical balance of the skin" jales | Aug 03, 07 | 4:51 pm
i read this on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar
"Cider vinegar is also claimed to be a solution to dandruff, in that the acid in the vinegar kills the fungus Malassezia furfur (formerly known as Pityrosporum ovale) and restores the chemical balance of the skin" jales | Aug 03, 07 | 4:51 pm
i have had toe nail fungus for over ten years at least. i have tried all over the counter nail fungus removers and they all didnt work. i have tried using tea tree oil, and bleach method. they both didnt work over a six month period. i didnt have any improvements at all. i want to know what i can do to get rid of it. im so fed up with my nail fungus.
andrew bustamante | Oct 06, 07 | 11:51 pm
I am using an oil that contains jojoba and tea tree, and see my pedicure every 5 weeks, so the nails are manageable. But the fungus is still lodged there, although the oil seems to help - some. I tried ythe vinegar several times, but will try again.
On Brainiac, a british TV program, they claimed that urine is a good remedy, because it contains ammonia. I wonder if just plain ammonia would do as well...
annemarie | Feb 16, 08 | 1:50 pm
On Brainiac, a british TV program, they claimed that urine is a good remedy, because it contains ammonia. I wonder if just plain ammonia would do as well...
annemarie | Feb 16, 08 | 1:50 pm
I am fighting a cutaneous fugal infestation with itraconazole but on an asian site they were saying corn meal is a natural anti fungal and that soaking feet in corn meal can help alleviate athletes foot. I started using it in the bath and cornmeal is an excellent scrub and when mixed with water there is an oil that rejuvenates the skin. since my infection is cutaneous I cannot attest to the efficacy of corn meal for toenail fungus but along with vinegar it is worth a try.
John | Jun 19, 08 | 1:20 am
Hi Sodium Bicarbonate did the trick. When cleaning the fridge and sink as I started to do it daily with out gloves, silly me, not so. I noticed all markings on my finger tips were gone. I also had skin cancers on the back of my hand that are now almost gone its only been 2 weeks and this might be as simple as penicillin was to infections. Its cheap and works. could the sodium Bicarbonate be the cure for fungus even Cancer? is Cancer just a Fungus? Please Follow this up and save people
Jim | Aug 07, 08 | 6:42 pm
hydrogen peroxide works really well, but be careful with it because it not only rids of the bad fungi but if you soak too long it promotes chemical burns and other ouchies...
victoria | Nov 25, 08 | 2:12 am
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June 19, 2010:
Yesterday, my hosting provider had a hard drive fail on the server that hosts this site. I've rebuilt the site from an older backup. That backup however was missing a lot of newer comments so the following comments were manually added back in and have the date of June 19, 2010 even though they are much older. Sorry for any confusion this causes. Killnail | Jun 19, 10 | 9:45 am
June 19, 2010:
Yesterday, my hosting provider had a hard drive fail on the server that hosts this site. I've rebuilt the site from an older backup. That backup however was missing a lot of newer comments so the following comments were manually added back in and have the date of June 19, 2010 even though they are much older. Sorry for any confusion this causes. Killnail | Jun 19, 10 | 9:45 am
yes...vinegar does work!! but....it takes commitement. I 've had nail fungus for over ten years when i decided to get rid of it for once and for all. In the past 3 years, i've tried over the counter oral medications, topical medications spent a fortune and none worked. I tried cutting the nail in desparation but as soon as it grew the fungus was back...finally i decided to do some research on the net out of desperation. Now... why didnt i think of it sooner?????r..
.i found an array of home remedies and decided with the vinegar,however soaking for 20 minutes a day was not an option so i decied to use an eye dropper bottle instead for convenience. I placed several drops of white vinegar to nail (under and over ) up to six times a day in the begining SPECIALLY after taking showers immediately i could see the nail bed receeding further as if the fungus was reacting to vinegar and trying to hide away from it so i knew it was working ...it seemed that i would get a little bit worse befor getting better so i just had to keep it up. I would take the bottle to work with me and occasionally wet the nail with vinegar any chance i got. even going to beach after coming out of water i had my bottle on hand and discretly was able to still treat my fungus.
It was after 2 weeks that i can say the fungus stop trying to go deeper into nail bed. so...i knew i was going somewhere, but... still had a very long road ahead. i decided to stick to my guns and kept the vinegar treatment going to 3 applications or so a day (and always after showering) and added Vicks vapor rub at night under the nails as an additional attack. I started this treatment in June 08, now in december 08 (6 months later) i religiously do this and my nail is completely clear. I intend to keep on doing this for another 6 months to be safe. Im so used to this routine now it doesnt bother me to keep on doing it, specially after seeing the incredible results. Its worth it. In fact, if one was to take oral medication there is a good chance you would have to take it for 3 to 6 months everyday in some cases 9 months (without guarantee it would work i might add in my case) costing a fortune plus the side effects on your body. So this is just like taking any other medication. It all comes down to how much you really want to be rid of your fungus. After 10 years for me...i was at the point of wanting to cut off my big toe!!! thats how disgusted i was of it. So...yes the vinegar does work, combined with vicks even better and faster results...but you just have to do it everyday like brushing your teeth, taking a shower and combing your hair, it becomes part of your daily routine.
I used pure white vinegar with no skin irritations or discomforts for those who want to know. I read that vinegar may not work for some types of fungus, but you may never know it just may work for you like it did for me. and the only way to know is to at least try. Give it a month at least see how fungus reacts or not. If nail bed seems to be receeding then fungus is definetely running from the vinegar and there is a good chance keeping treatment will work.
(Originally posted: December 15, 2008 10:41:32 PM EST) Bal | Jun 19, 10 | 9:48 am
.i found an array of home remedies and decided with the vinegar,however soaking for 20 minutes a day was not an option so i decied to use an eye dropper bottle instead for convenience. I placed several drops of white vinegar to nail (under and over ) up to six times a day in the begining SPECIALLY after taking showers immediately i could see the nail bed receeding further as if the fungus was reacting to vinegar and trying to hide away from it so i knew it was working ...it seemed that i would get a little bit worse befor getting better so i just had to keep it up. I would take the bottle to work with me and occasionally wet the nail with vinegar any chance i got. even going to beach after coming out of water i had my bottle on hand and discretly was able to still treat my fungus.
It was after 2 weeks that i can say the fungus stop trying to go deeper into nail bed. so...i knew i was going somewhere, but... still had a very long road ahead. i decided to stick to my guns and kept the vinegar treatment going to 3 applications or so a day (and always after showering) and added Vicks vapor rub at night under the nails as an additional attack. I started this treatment in June 08, now in december 08 (6 months later) i religiously do this and my nail is completely clear. I intend to keep on doing this for another 6 months to be safe. Im so used to this routine now it doesnt bother me to keep on doing it, specially after seeing the incredible results. Its worth it. In fact, if one was to take oral medication there is a good chance you would have to take it for 3 to 6 months everyday in some cases 9 months (without guarantee it would work i might add in my case) costing a fortune plus the side effects on your body. So this is just like taking any other medication. It all comes down to how much you really want to be rid of your fungus. After 10 years for me...i was at the point of wanting to cut off my big toe!!! thats how disgusted i was of it. So...yes the vinegar does work, combined with vicks even better and faster results...but you just have to do it everyday like brushing your teeth, taking a shower and combing your hair, it becomes part of your daily routine.
I used pure white vinegar with no skin irritations or discomforts for those who want to know. I read that vinegar may not work for some types of fungus, but you may never know it just may work for you like it did for me. and the only way to know is to at least try. Give it a month at least see how fungus reacts or not. If nail bed seems to be receeding then fungus is definetely running from the vinegar and there is a good chance keeping treatment will work.
(Originally posted: December 15, 2008 10:41:32 PM EST) Bal | Jun 19, 10 | 9:48 am
I have been fighting off a nail fungus in my thumb nail for about 6 months now. I have tried OTC nail fungus treatments, tea tree oil, apple cider vinegar & even bleach. The OTC treatments were a joke, the tea tree oil smelled so bad that I couldn't stand it, and I didn't notice any positive effects. I use a little bleach every once in while, just because I think it has to kill everything (but it turns the dead skin yellow - not so pretty).
I found the best, most noticeable effects using the vinegar. I apply it twice a day with a Q-tip. When I forget to use it, I can tell that the fungus continues to grow, but when I am diligent with the vinegar use, I can see that the nail bed is healthy and growing. I also keep the nail trimmed close and never use the nail trimmer or file on the healthy nails (don't want to spread the fungus). I had the nail nearly fully grown out at one point, stopped using the vinegar thinking I was cured, but it came back with a vengence. My advice, find what works for you and stick with the routine long after the nail looks cured.
(Originally posted: June 29, 2009 10:37:30 AM EDT) Jen | Jun 19, 10 | 9:50 am
I found the best, most noticeable effects using the vinegar. I apply it twice a day with a Q-tip. When I forget to use it, I can tell that the fungus continues to grow, but when I am diligent with the vinegar use, I can see that the nail bed is healthy and growing. I also keep the nail trimmed close and never use the nail trimmer or file on the healthy nails (don't want to spread the fungus). I had the nail nearly fully grown out at one point, stopped using the vinegar thinking I was cured, but it came back with a vengence. My advice, find what works for you and stick with the routine long after the nail looks cured.
(Originally posted: June 29, 2009 10:37:30 AM EDT) Jen | Jun 19, 10 | 9:50 am
Clairification -- the vinegar that works best is Cider vinegar. Just this month I tried using plain white distilled vinegar -- the fungus actually got worse. I'm back to using Cider vinegar exclusively and it seems to be working again. Apply as often as possible and stay diligent.
(Originally posted: July 16, 2009 10:37:30 AM EDT) Jen | Jun 19, 10 | 9:51 am
(Originally posted: July 16, 2009 10:37:30 AM EDT) Jen | Jun 19, 10 | 9:51 am
Try apple cider vinegar for several _HOURS_ and use a toothbrush to massage the nail and surrounding skin.
Your skin will absorb it and the cuticle will pull back from the nail.
Let your feet dry and then apply the tea-tree-oil, and massage under the cuticle opening. this is the only way to get to the root.
(Originally posted: September 3, 2009 2:48:52 PM EDT) fungis victim | Jun 19, 10 | 9:53 am
Your skin will absorb it and the cuticle will pull back from the nail.
Let your feet dry and then apply the tea-tree-oil, and massage under the cuticle opening. this is the only way to get to the root.
(Originally posted: September 3, 2009 2:48:52 PM EDT) fungis victim | Jun 19, 10 | 9:53 am
I have had toenail fungus for years but knew not what to do other than drugs that do not work.
Read about the vinegar soak, tried it, and am down to 2 bad nails from 10. You must soak 15 minutes every day without fail even tho it will be a nuciance.Really! It Works!!!
(Originally posted: January 20, 2010 1:24:39 PM EST) annette | Jun 19, 10 | 9:54 am
Read about the vinegar soak, tried it, and am down to 2 bad nails from 10. You must soak 15 minutes every day without fail even tho it will be a nuciance.Really! It Works!!!
(Originally posted: January 20, 2010 1:24:39 PM EST) annette | Jun 19, 10 | 9:54 am
Everytime I swim in sea water my nails are brighter, clearer, whiter so the sea mineral salts must kill bacteria or fungus
(Originally posted: January 21, 2010 10:39:05 PM EST) Jan | Jun 19, 10 | 9:56 am
(Originally posted: January 21, 2010 10:39:05 PM EST) Jan | Jun 19, 10 | 9:56 am
I have had nail fungal issues for 30+ years. My primary care doctor gave me instructions for a corn meal soak that completely cleared up the problem in 2 months. I soaked the infected foot in warm water and cornmeal for an hour once per week. You first add warm water to the cornmeal and let it sit for a half hour. Then add more slightly warmer water and soak the foot.
(Originally posted: February 13, 2010 5:29:09 PM EST) james kieffer | Jun 19, 10 | 9:58 am
(Originally posted: February 13, 2010 5:29:09 PM EST) james kieffer | Jun 19, 10 | 9:58 am
I had a terrible fungul infection on my hand for several months. NOTHING WORKED! Then i tried the 1 part corn meal to 2 parts warm water soak. Let cornmeal soak in warm water for 30 mins then soak hands or feet in the mixture for an hour, IT WORKS!!
(Originally posted: March 25, 2010 2:18:18 PM EDT) nigel wright | Jun 19, 10 | 9:59 am
(Originally posted: March 25, 2010 2:18:18 PM EDT) nigel wright | Jun 19, 10 | 9:59 am
I was told by a physician that 50% Listerine & 50% white vinegar 2-3 times daily brushed on the affected nails will take it away. Well, it worked on only 1 of my nails within 2 weeks. I've read that lime juice 2-3 times daily should do the trick. Oh also, cayenne pepper with a little bit of water left on the nails everyday works. I'm planning to try it next week. I'll let you know what happens.
(Originally posted: May 1, 2010 12:18:57 AM EDT) Grossed out | Jun 19, 10 | 10:00 am
(Originally posted: May 1, 2010 12:18:57 AM EDT) Grossed out | Jun 19, 10 | 10:00 am
I tried sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and a little water to make a paste in a large bowl. I used an old tooth brush to brush the paste into the nails on my feet that were brittle and turning brown. Afterward, I added more water to the mixture and bathed my feet in it and brushed the nails some more. You do not have to brush hard! One can use warm or cold water. Generally, I used cold water, but on occasion I used warm. Both seem to work fine.
I noticed an improvement right away. I have continued this treatment for several weeks now and have noticed the the brittle nails are softer and the brown areas have turned white. I think those are the areas where the fungus were. Not only that, I do not have any athlete's feet anymore (I used to get that since I enjoy playing basketball and softball) and the nails on my hands are better because of bathing in the solution. These were side effects as primarily I was trying to improve my toe nails.
(Originally posted: May 2, 2010 5:23:12 AM EDT) it works | Jun 19, 10 | 10:02 am
I noticed an improvement right away. I have continued this treatment for several weeks now and have noticed the the brittle nails are softer and the brown areas have turned white. I think those are the areas where the fungus were. Not only that, I do not have any athlete's feet anymore (I used to get that since I enjoy playing basketball and softball) and the nails on my hands are better because of bathing in the solution. These were side effects as primarily I was trying to improve my toe nails.
(Originally posted: May 2, 2010 5:23:12 AM EDT) it works | Jun 19, 10 | 10:02 am
I used pure thyme oil painted on the toenails with a small brush. it worked quickly compared to other remedies reported here, a month for myself and I saw healthy nail.
I applied with a paintbrush because if thyme oil gets on skin it can cause irritation, just a drop irritated my arm but the small amounts on the skin around the nail were absolutely fine.
If Listerine is working, I'll bet the reason is that one of the ingredients is thymol...a chemical from thyme.
(Originally posted: May 7, 2010 7:01:40 PM EDT) Jesse | Jun 19, 10 | 10:03 am
I applied with a paintbrush because if thyme oil gets on skin it can cause irritation, just a drop irritated my arm but the small amounts on the skin around the nail were absolutely fine.
If Listerine is working, I'll bet the reason is that one of the ingredients is thymol...a chemical from thyme.
(Originally posted: May 7, 2010 7:01:40 PM EDT) Jesse | Jun 19, 10 | 10:03 am
Ten years my Podiatrist told me the Vicks regamine works and my mother rubbed her feet and toenails with it every night. She was diabetic and not only did it make her feet soft but she never had fungus.
(Originally posted: May 24, 2010 5:36:48 PM EDT) Becky | Jun 19, 10 | 10:04 am
(Originally posted: May 24, 2010 5:36:48 PM EDT) Becky | Jun 19, 10 | 10:04 am
Disclaimer
Kill Nail Fungus.com is not a medical site and not intended to take the place of a qualified doctor. Information contained here is simply the personal experiences of those who have had to deal with nail fungus and come with no guarantees. Use at your own risk, but more importantly, consult your dermatologist / doctor before trying anything mentioned on this site.
