Toenail issues

[Unregistered]

This is going to sound gross, so I apolgise in advance for that. I have a toenail problem, I think it's a toenail fungus. The nail of the toe has become very thick and yellowy-white in colour. The thick part of the nail inside (when I cut it), is very flaky and white. I have tried a Lamisil ointment from my doctor and I have tried a type of Laquer drop for toenails from the pharmacy, neither one helped and I did use them for months on end to no avail. I read about Vicks Vaporub as a solution online and will be trying that one now. I just wanted to know if there were any other effective remedies you could recommend please?

[Dr Joy Saville]

Toenail fungi can often be very resistant especially since most of the shoes we wear provide an environment (heat with moistness) for them to grow. I would advise that you use a oral antifungal prescribed by a GP, but you should still follow the guidelines listed below


- Ensure that the feet are thoroughly dried after washing. After bathing dry carefully between your toes. Make sure to use each towel only once before laundering. Use separate towels for the infected area and the rest of the body.
- Wear absorbent socks made of cotton.
- Air your shoes out and your socks daily. Wash socks, towels and anything that comes into contact with the infected area in very hot water, with chlorine bleach added if possible.
- Take care to protect your feet from direct contact with floors in communal areas such as locker rooms. Wear shoes or slippers in such places. Do not share shoes, towels, or anything else that comes into contact with the feet.
- Wear well ventilated shoes such as sandals or sneakers with holes that allow your feet to breathe. Do not wear shoes made of rubber or vinyl material. Try not to wear the same shoes everyday, and be sure to change wet shoes immediately.
- Soak the feet in a foot bath with 20 drops of tea tree oil added to it. Tea tree oil is a powerful antifungal.
- Put garlic flakes in your shoes. They not only absorb excess moistness but also also have anti fungal properties

In conjunction with the oral anti-fungal you should also use Tibb Septoguard. There's an ointment called Hiknol which is only available from Tibb practitioners that also has antifingal properties