Kayla Young
That milky white or yellow discoloration under the toenails is nail fungus. Toenail fungus is not a pretty sight, it doesn’t look good! That is why people try to scrape it off.
Can you scrape out toenail fungus? The answer is no, you can’t scrape out toenail fungus. Don’t try! Here is why:
- The fungus can not be completely removed by just scraping it out
- It can only be removed with special remedies
- You can damage your toes and nails.
Nail fungus can be a real frustration, and it’s hard to tell when you’ve actually gotten rid of it. But don’t try to scrape it out. We’ll discuss your options below.
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Can You Scrape Out Toenail Fungus? Is It Safe to Scrape Out Fungus?
If you experience a yellow, white, or brown coloration of the toenails, then you may have the very common toenail fungus. While many people scrape that coloration and thickened parts off, the fungus cannot be removed this way and will stay.
While many people scrape that coloration and thickened parts off, the fungus cannot be removed this way and will stay.
This may spread to the nails of your other toes (or even internally) if you don’t take care and will cause the toenails to thicken and crack. This type of fungus will get into the cracks in your toenails, and you can’t get rid of it by scraping it out.
Ugly toenails are not something you want to see, especially if you love open-toe shoes or want to walk bare feet. Simple scraping, painting over them, or covering them up is not going to help you get rid of the toenail fungus. You’re gonna have to do more than that.
Let’s take a look at what will help to get rid of those unsightly toenails and the fungus that causes them.
Remedies To Remove Toenail Fungus
There are several treatments available on the market you can get from your doctor or buy over the counter. Prescription ones are your best bet, and the only things certain to work.
But doctors are a hassle, prescriptions may be costly, and medicines often have side effects. If your fungus isn’t too bad, you can try some home remedies or OTC remedies. Just understand that these are hit or miss at best.
If your fungus isn’t too bad, you can try some home remedies or OTC remedies. Just understand that these are hit or miss at best.
The sooner you start proper treatment, the better because the fungus can spread to other nails and become more difficult to treat.
The podiatrist may even cut away the part of the infected toenail and use laser therapy or topical creams to kill the fungus. But, let’s look at easy remedies we can try to use ourselves to get rid of toenail fungus without too much trouble and cost.
Types Of Treatments For Fungus
There are many different types of treatments that are prescribed by your doctor or what you can get over the counter.
1. Oral Treatment
One of the most common methods to treat toenail fungus is oral treatment in the form of medication. This is quite an effective method, but it may take some time and can take as long as three months to get results.
Unfortunately, most of these oral treatments have side effects you need to keep in consideration, and they are expensive. It is also mostly used for the most severe and advanced fungus cases and if more than one nail is infected.
Oral treatment for toenail fungus is often used in combination with topical treatment to ensure better results. Most of these treatments are prescribed by a doctor.
2. Topical Fungus Treatment
This type of treatment is typically used for mild to medium infections of the toenail fungus and has fewer side effects to be worried about. Topical medication may cause fever in some people and other mild side effects, but it is not as serious as an oral treatment.
One problem with topical treatment is that it can not fully penetrate the plate of your nails, so it is not that effective. This means that topical treatment may take much longer than oral medicine to completely remove the fungus.
Medical experts say that it may take as long as one full year for a nail to grow, so your treatment may take that long. You will have to apply the treatment daily for as long as 52 weeks which may cost even more than oral treatment in the end.
There’s no easy way to remove nail fungus instantly.
There are many OTC fungus treatments available on the web. These include Emoninail, ZetaClear, Fungus Eliminator, and Kerasal. If your fungus isn’t too bad, they may be worth a shot. But if it’s bad, or if you just want it gone now don’t bother.
Home Remedies For Nail Fungus
There are several remedies you can apply at home that may help you get rid of the toenail fungus. To use these home remedies, you will need patience, and they will likely not work that effectively in severe cases of infection.
Following is a list of commonly used at-home treatments. There’s very little solid scientific evidence for these, but many anecdotal reports of success. Remember, you’ll still need to wait for fresh nail growth to come in, which can take 6-12 months.
Remember, you’ll still need to wait for fresh nail growth to come in, which can take 6-12 months.
1. Vinegar
There is no conclusive proof that this vinegar will work for toenail fungus infections. There is some evidence that it may help in the treatment of toenail fungus, so try it out and see what happens.
This method may also take just as long as a topical treatment, but is a safe and cheap treatment that may just work for you. The best method is to soak your foot in two parts warm water and one part vinegar for about 30 minutes daily.
What makes this treatment quick and easy is that it is available in most homes and is an affordable treatment for all.
2. Vicks Vaporub
Many people around the world trust this simple topical ointment for a range of treatments, and one of them is for toenail fungus treatment. The active ingredients, eucalyptus oil, and camphor will help to treat the infected area and completely remove the fungus.
Studies done in 2011Â provided some evidence Vicks can be used with positive results in the treatment of toenail fungus. Use this ointment and apply a small amount to the infected toenail and surrounding area at least once a day for the best results.
Luckily most people love the smell of Vicks, so it will not be that off-putting for most people around you.
3. Garlic
This is one of the most used traditional and herbal treatments used for many things, especially for antifungal treatment. It is reviewed that garlic contains ingredients that can be effectively used for its antimicrobial and antifungal capabilities for various treatments.
That garlic smell may hang around you all day long, but it can be effectively used for toenail fungus treatment. If you do not want to face the smell, you can always treat the fungus from the inside by using garlic capsules.
Or you can simply chop up some garlic cloves and apply crushed garlic daily to the affected area for 30 minutes.
4. Listerine Mouthwash
This product is a very popular treatment for toenail fungus and is used by many people around the world for that and more. The eucalyptus and other ingredients such as thymol and menthol have antibacterial and antifungal properties to make it an effective treatment method.
This treatment needs to be applied daily for 30 minutes at least to be effective and for the best results. It is recommended that you use this together with amber-colored Listerine in a foot basin for the best effects.
Simply soak the affected foot in the basin with this formula for the recommended time, and you will see results after some time.
5. Tea Tree Oil And Other Essential Oils
Recent studies show that tea tree oil or melaleuca is one of the many essential oils that contain antifungal abilities. It also shows that the antiseptic abilities will help in the treatment of toenail fungus by applying it directly to the affected toenail.
Simply paint it onto the affected area and toenail with a piece of cotton once or twice daily and leave it there. It can also be effectively used as a treatment for an athlete’s foot.
Tea tree oil is a very popular essential oil that is extracted from the leaves of the tea tree. It has been used for germ-killing and as a herbal medicine for many years.
Many other types of essential oils are used for the same effect, such as oregano oil and olive leaf extract. All these oils contain the same antifungal and antibacterial abilities for toenail fungus treatment.
Ozonated oils are oils that are injected with ozone gas and can also be used for the treatment of toenail fungus. Oils that fall in this category and are used as ozonated oil include olive oil and sunflower oil and act against many fungi and bacteria.
The most effective of these oils, sunflower oil contains the right stuff to use as an effective treatment against the toenail fungus.
Useful Hints
Your diet can play a huge role in preventing toenail fungus from affecting your nails. Useful nutrients that will help your body effectively fight off such things as toenail fungus and more can be obtained from these foods.
- Yogurt that is high in probiotics
- Low-fat dairy products and other Vitamin D and calcium-rich foods
- Protein-rich food that will support nail regrowth
- To prevent brittle nails, you need food that is high in iron content
- Essential fatty acids will also be a good preventative measure against fungi
If you have a weak immune system or have diabetes, you should consult your doctor before using home remedies.
Conclusion
Even though you can not safely and effectively get rid of the toenail fungus by scraping it off, there are several home and over-the-counter remedies you can try. But these have mixed reports of success at best. If you want to be sure, visit your doctor.
