For the treatment of onychomycosis, doctors prescribe serious local and systemic chemicals. They can cause allergies and side effects. An alternative to pharmaceutical drugs are homemade formulations with antifungal action. The effectiveness of traditional methods has not been clinically confirmed. The benefits of treatment with homemade products lie in its availability and positive experiences with others.
When you can do it without doctors and chemists
Dermatologists focus on the patient - neglected onychomycosis can be treated exclusively under the supervision of a physician. Long -term complex therapy will be required, with the appointment of pills and external agents. Self-medication is allowed only in the early stages of the development of nail fungus. It is possible to distinguish progressive mycosis from newly initiated symptoms:
- color - after a fungal infection, the plate at the ends becomes unclear, whitish or slightly yellowish, spots may appear; in further cases, the whole nail becomes gray-yellow, greenish or brown;
- structure - in the first stage of onychomycosis, the structure of the nail plate does not change significantly, when the nail grows, it thickens strongly, stratified, becomes loose, collapses;
- the condition of the surrounding skin - at the beginning of the disease does not change, at a later stage dryness, pain, cracks, burr appear;
- sensation - not present, if the skin is damaged, itching, pain, general discomfort appear.
Home remedies can only be used in the early stages of onychomycosis. You can heal yourself if no more than 3 nails are affected, less than 2/3 of the area, there is no severe hyperkeratosis, and the skin is not involved in pathological processes. With widespread changes in the nail plate, a course of complex therapy will be required, lasting from 3 to 12 months.
No food can kill the fungus from the body. Homemade mixture has a fungistatic effect - it slows down the growth and reproduction of fungal microorganisms. They prevent the infection from spreading to the growing nails.
Why home remedies are better than pharmacy
Traditional methods of treatment of onychomycosis are based on the use of:
- available foods (garlic, onions, honey);
- popular chemical compounds for household use (vinegar, soda);
- cheap local antiseptics from pharmacies (peroxide, iodine, alcohol);
- herbal extracts (infusions, essential oils).
All of these materials have a high level of safety and are well tolerated when used externally. However, a small risk of individual sensitivity remains. The presence of an allergic reaction is easy to check whether you are rubbing a small area of skin with a preparation prepared for nails. In case of itching, burning or swelling, you should stop using the mixture on a regular basis.
Homemade natural medicine has another special feature - it nourishes the nail plate and accelerates its growth. This contributes to faster nail regrowth and removal of the affected part.
The indisputable advantage of the folk method is its cheapness. Most products and materials are in every home. In the absence of them, you can buy them in any store, with minimal financial investment.
The disadvantages of homemade remedies for onychomycosis are insignificant - unpleasant odor, nail staining, time spent on the preparation and processing of limbs. Since at the end of treatment, the patient will fully recover, the imperfections of traditional methods can be borne.
How to choose an effective recipe
Common sense must be used when familiarizing oneself with existing treatments for nail fungus. No one uses indifferent ingredients on dishes, such as rice porridge or pancakes. Naturally, sour cream, milk, raw dough will also be completely ineffective. Traditional medicine recommends mixtures that affect the acidity of the environment (soda, vinegar), vitamins and essential oil products. Such a preparation is really useful, as it creates unfavorable living conditions for the fungus, stimulates the exfoliation of the damaged part of the plate, and accelerates the growth of nails.
The suggestion to use motor oil, formaldehyde, dilute aggressive acid on nails affected by the fungus is the invention of an irresponsible "healer". Any method that can damage healthy skin should be discarded immediately.
If the fungus only affects a small part of the nail, a product rich in vitamins and minerals is sufficient. If several nails are affected at once, but the area of damage on the plate does not reach the ½ area of each plate, you can choose an herbal remedy. If your nails are almost half damaged, you can stop at the recipe with baking soda, vinegar or antiseptic. With more widespread mycoses, you should immediately see a doctor. Excessive risk is fraught with onycholysis - the process of destruction and rejection of nails on all fingers of the limbs.
List of best home remedies
The most effective are substances that can adversely affect the fungus. This includes vinegar. At home, you can use regular table acid. For a softer effect, you should choose wine, apple cider, rice vinegar. Basic methods of home use.
- Cotton wool pieces are impregnated with acid, applied to damaged nail plates, glued with plaster or wrapped with bandages. Leave to act for 3 hours, repeat the procedure 2 times a day.
- The principle is the same as in the first method, but the compress is left overnight. This method is only suitable if it is well received and there is no irritation to the skin around the plate.
- 9% table vinegar in equal proportions mixed with glycerin, applied to the nails with a cotton swab, for 15 minutes. Processing is repeated three times a day.
- A glass of table vinegar is poured into a basin filled with hot water up to the ankles. The feet soar for 15 minutes, after which they just wipe off the moisture with a towel. Repeat the procedure 3 times a week.
Baking soda can be used as a paste or as a foot bath. The solution with it effectively prepares the nail plate for exposure to other drugs.
- The required amount of finely ground soda is diluted with water to the consistency of a thick paste. This tool is used to treat nail plates, applying the paste in a thick layer. Cover with a plaster or bandage. Stand for 15 minutes. Then they are washed with water, nails wiped with a rag. Processing is carried out daily, up to 3 times a day.
- To prepare a medicinal soda bath for the feet, you need to heat 3 liters of water, add 3 tablespoons of baking soda and 3 tablespoons of Iodinol solution. Feet soak for 20 minutes, rinse with clean running water and wipe dry. This procedure is repeated daily, twice a day.
- A tar-soda bath is prepared as follows: heat 3 liters of water, add 3 tablespoons of soda, 3 tablespoons of iodine solution, 3 tablespoons of crushed tar soap on a grater. The solution is shaken until bubbles form. Submerge your feet, holding until the water is completely cold. Processing is carried out 3 times a week.
Using this method, you should carefully monitor the skin reaction. When burning, redness, swelling, dryness, itching appear, the method of treatment of onychomycosis must be replaced with a gentler one.
Food
Certain vegetables, juices and root vegetables have anti-fungal properties. They are most noticeable in essential oil plants - with a strong aroma, a specific taste. Proven treatment for onychomycosis involves regular consumption of vegetable porridge or juice.
- Garlic is passed through a press until a homogeneous substance is obtained. The same amount of regular table salt is added. Mix the composition thoroughly until the crystals are completely dissolved. Apply the product on a cotton swab, apply on damaged nails, leave under a bandage overnight.
- Garlic juice, water and glycerin are mixed in equal amounts. The solution is stored in the refrigerator, used for regular nail treatment with a brush, three times a day.
- Onion juice mixed with aloe juice. The resulting material is used to lubricate damaged nails 3 times a day.
- At night, a compress made from the roots of carrots, rubbed into a homogeneous gruel, fastened on the nails. Before grinding, the roots are peeled from the skin.
By using natural remedies, the chances of allergies or irritation are reduced. Redness, burning, itching-a reason to halve the exposure time to compresses, washing away the remnants of the solution from the nails 2 hours after treatment.
Beekeeping products
Gifts from bees have always been considered a storehouse of minerals, vitamins, and biologically active substances. Among them there are components with a broad spectrum of antifungal action. Candles, honey, bee bread, propolis, pollen - all products from the apiary can improve health when used internally and externally. For the treatment of fungal nail diseases, they must be used according to special recipes.
- Propolis is used as a tincture. You can buy ready -made products at the pharmacy. To prepare the extract at home, you need to pour 10 g of crushed propolis on a grater with 100 ml of vodka or alcohol. After 14 days of infusion, the product is filtered into bottles for storage. Tincture is used to treat nails damaged by fungus 3 times a day. To enhance the effect, the product is applied in 3 layers.
- Propolis ointment. Any fat (100 g) is heated in a water bath. Propolis (10 g) is frozen, pounded with a rolling pin into a fine powder. It is put in heated oil, stirred actively until a homogeneous substance is obtained. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until it is completely solid. Ointment is rubbed into the nails 2 times a day. After application, it is advisable to wear cotton socks.
- The same amount of honey and onion juice is mixed until smooth. This tool is used to lubricate nails 3 times a day.
You can use a bee gift on one condition - if it is well received. If you are allergic to honey, it is better to choose another method of treating onychomycosis.
Medicinal plants
Among herbal remedies, the most popular are herbal raw materials with tannins and essential oils in the composition. In the treatment of onychomycosis, the use of pure essential oils is allowed, provided that they are applied exclusively on the nail plate.
- 50 crushed calendula flowers are mixed in a large cup of boiling water. After complete cooling, the product is filtered into a bowl filled with hot water (3 liters). Legs inflate for 10-15 minutes.
- 6 tablespoons of oak bark pour 1. 5 liters of boiling water. They put on low heat, simmer for half an hour. After complete cooling, the lid is mixed with 1. 5 liters of clean hot water. Take a shower for 20 minutes.
- 10 drops of essential oil of tea tree, lavender, ylang-ylang or rosemary diluted in 3 liters of hot water. Soak your feet in the mixture for 20 minutes. After that, the feet are wrapped in a towel for 10 minutes. This procedure is performed daily.
- Tea tree oil is mixed with a little hot water. The resulting mixture is impregnated with cotton, tied for an hour to the affected nail plate. Manipulation was repeated twice a day.
When using herbal medicine, one cannot expect a quick effect. However, regular use of this recipe will not only get rid of fungus, but also strengthen nails, improve local blood circulation, and heal the skin on the feet.
Chemical compounds
For the treatment of fungus, people recommend using laundry soap (chocolate, with a writing of 72%, without fragrance). Wet feet with nails are well rubbed. The bar can be used to run directly over the nail plate so that foam enters the area under the rollers and under the free edge of the nail. In a soapy state, stand for 20 minutes. After that, the foam is washed thoroughly with a stiff brush. Processing is daily.
Damaged nails can be treated with a 5%pure alcohol solution of iodine. The disadvantage of this therapy is that the plate is brown.
Using a pure hydrogen peroxide solution, an antifungal nail compress is made twice a day. A cotton swab soaked in hydrogen peroxide is applied to the pre-steamed nails. After 15-40 minutes, the compress is removed.
It is very easy to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative treatment methods - if healthy nails grow at the base, and the damaged surface is reduced after each pedicure, then the method helps. If the situation worsens. And the nails become yellowish, thickened - which means that the tool is ineffective. In order for folk remedies to work better, you should trim the damaged nail area every week, treating the shoes with antifungal agents.