Nail Fungus Treatment and Prevention
Who gets nail fungus?
In general, poor foot hygiene is a cause of nail fungus. It is important to cut the toenails and clean underneath regularly. Keeping them long creates unnecessary pressure.
Properly drying your feet is a must. Wiping your feet on the bath mat after your shower or bath is not enough. A proper drying is necessary, especially for overweight people.
Aside from poor hygiene, there are 3 major categories of nail fungus sources:
Ill-fitted shoes
Tight-fitting shoes create pressure that traumatizes the nail therefore making it vulnerable to infections.
Improper pedicures
What constitutes an improper pedicure? Examples include reusing of disposable tools, poor cleaning protocols, and cross contamination. The risk of cross contamination is high when a Service Provider jumps between two simultaneous pedicures in order to maximize the number of clients served.
People with healthy, unbroken skin won’t regularly have an issue with improper pedicures. However, someone with unhealthy feet may fall prey to a fungus infection.
Shoe humidity
Athletes are most likely to develop fungus infections due to the humidity in their shoes. In addition, they often use locker rooms which are known to provide conditions that make fungi thrive (humidity).
In addition to humidity, runners in particular create extra pressure as their feet pound the pavement. This pressure traumatizes the nail therefore making it vulnerable to infections.
Can nail fungus cure itself?
Nail fungus cannot cure itself. A nail fungus can be compared to a parasite. Unless you remove one of the ideal conditions, fungus will continue to thrive. Ideal conditions include humidity, darkness, warm temperature, and nutrients (for example, dirt or dead skin cells).
What happens when left untreated?
There are many reasons to treat a fungal infection aside from the foot not being esthetically pleasing. Firstly, it will cause embarrassing odour. If left untreated long enough it starts to mutate. The fungus starts growing roots under the nails which bury themselves in the nail bed causing it to “pump” itself up. This pumping manifests as thick nails. Once roots starts growing, the fungus can spread to other nails or other people.
Can I wear nail polish if I have a fungal infection?
We recommend that you not apply colour nail polish on an infected toenail. A clear coat is ok, but colours will create an umbrella effect giving the fungi the darkness it needs to thrive. Its like a bug living under a log.
Another reason to refrain from nail polish is to avoid contamination of your nail polish. Once a bottle of polish has been contaminated it can spread to other fingers and people who use your polish.
Prevention tips
- Do not share socks or shoes.
- Sock material- not all socks are made of cotton. Some are made of acrylic/nylon material which are more likely to cause feet to sweat.
- Do not wear the same shoes 2 days in a row, especially closed-toed shoes made from material that builds moisture.
- Do not wear poor quality shoes. Some shoes are made of plastic and the paint on the shoes is also plastic which causes sweaty feet and bacteria.
- Clean and dry feet properly.
- Do not cut nails so short that it breaks the seal.
- Wear sandals in locker rooms.
Nail Fungus Treatment
There are different levels of nail fungus treatment.
Anti-fungal drops
This is something you can do at home. The natural toenail takes one year to replace itself. This is the amount of time it will take to care for your feet with drops.
Advanced pedicure
In an Anti-Fungal Tx, we cut the nail down to a safe point in order to cut and scoop as much fungus out. We then insert soaked therapeutic pads where the fungus was removed. As a result, there is less area for moisture to collect.
Your service provider will provide you with post care to continue to care for your infected nail at home.
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Love, Peace, and Great Skin!
Dérmica MedEsthetics
(780) 885 7108
dermica.ca