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Vicks for Toenail Fungus
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This isn't new, but it worked for me so I want to tell people...
Last Summer I realized that I had some weird yellow stuff on my big toenail. I showed it to my husband, and he said it looked like fungus. Crap, I thought so...
I pumiced off the top layers until I got to somewhat healthy looking nail. You must do this before any fungus treatment. Then we went a-looking for the cure on the Internet. I went looking for products, my husband went on toenail fungus forums. I did find this stuff that looked like clear nail polish for like 7 bucks for a half an ounce. It had all the ingredients I thought would do the trick, but damn that's expensive for an unknown.
And forget about using Lamisil. NO WAY. People on the forums said it takes a *year* for any results. Meanwhile you're putting your liver at risk. One person said Lamasil made them lose their taste. Yikes.
Then my husband said people on the forum used Vicks VapoRub with much success. I thought about that and it made a lot of sense. I know all the ingredients in it.(I used it most of my childhood-I was always sick with some bronchial thing or another) So we agreed 5 bucks for a tub of Vicks was much cheaper, and safer(hugs liver) than the alternatives.
That night I started putting the Vicks on my toenail fungus. It took from June to December for it to go away completely! But I could see a change the first week. It's all gone now, you'd never know it was ever there. Yay :) -
I have also heard of Baking Soda doing something similar. I have an unpleasant toenail thing going on and am not interested in going to the podiatrist. So maybe I'll try the Vicks! Thanks :)
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I thought this was an interesting thread, so I blogged about it in tomorrow's post. (9/10/07) thanks for the tip!
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Wow, I made the blog. You are quite welcome.
Cate, you don't need to do much. Just a thin film of the Vicks will do. Not like when you use it on your chest. I put it on before bed and read for a while so it would absorb. I also used a Q-Tip because the eucalyptus smell lasts even after I wash my hands.
I heard about the Baking Soda thing on that fungus forum. I doubt it would work other than making your toe really really clean and smoother. :p Remember to gently pumice off any yellow hard nail before applying the Vicks. -
TailFeather: you are a riot! I love everything you say in these discussions! :rolling:
You have me laughing out loud and I love it! -
Aw shucks, ma'am. I do my best :P Good luck with the fungus....
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I have heard of using vicks. I used plain white vinegar. I got nail fungus from a pedicure. Gross. And this was an established reputable salon. I had it on several nails and found that a few drops of vinegar on the edge and the base of the nail, twice a day worked amazingly well. The new nail that grew in was clean and clear. On the down side, it took many months, as many as if I used Lamasil pills and it's not permanent. I stopped for about 6 months and noticed a crumbly nail again. So it's back to the vinegar.
BTW, the smell evaporates in seconds. -
I commented on the blog that I considered the vinegar. I use it for everything else. But we had a puppy, and the thought of a big bowl of vinegar water getting spilled on the rug and that soaking in...I wasn't willing to take that risk. It probably wouldn't have happened and the vinegar probably would've dried up and not smelled, but it was the height of heat out here in SoCal. Wiping a tad of Vicks on one toe at night just seemed easier. (did I mention I'm lazy too? :p)
Try the Vicks Lauri, can't hurt, and it's only once a day. -
I willing to try. And I kinda like the smell of Vicks, too. Strange childhood and all that.
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Yeah, I hear ya. Vicks is the smell of my childhood.
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i really hate to say this but I got a fungus when i was 19 and now I'm 33 my nail is black(YIKES!!!!!!!!) Do you think this can help me? I refused the Lamisil too!! the FOOT doctor charged me $232 bucks for 10 minutes just to tell me something I knew!
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Fitz--you could always try. I know that you have to be vigilant about it and do it every day. That sucks that your nail is black and criminal of your doctor to charge you that much!
Apparently I was going to start using the Vicks a few months ago...oops. I need to write things down so I remember.. I'm going to start again. -
Hey everyone,
Yes, the Vick's does work. I recommend this to all my older clients.
BUT--you need to clean out the old product before applying new to UNDER the nail.
It will take time, as it takes about 8 months for the nails to grow out.
There are many skeptics over this method. I got one some time ago and used the Vicks. Took 8 months, but I no longer have it.
You can use an orange stick to clean out the nails after your shower when the nails are a bit softer. OH, and it DOES have to be done every day. Not once a week or once a month.
Forget the Lamisil!
buenos dias,
Lynnette -
Thank You...you guys helped a bunch. I have been married for 10 years and my husband has never seen my toenails. Maybe in a year or so he can for the 1st time EVER! Besides I'm really not a fan of polish I have used it for years to cover it up.
I do have one more question..how often do you have to file the nail down? I know I apply the vicks everyday..I ran out last night and got 2 jars of vicks a stone and four packs of emery boards.. so i am ready. -
I've got some unpleasantness going on with one of my toenails so I thought I'd give this a try. I'm wondering why it's necessary to buff off the top layers if the fungus is underneath. Wouldn't that just weaken the nail further? Is there any advantage to soaking in vinegar and using the Vicks? I realize that it won't make the fungus clear up faster but I thought it might do a more thorough job and reduce the chances of a recurrence.
I'm one of about 5 people in this country who actually sterilizes their manicure equipment. I haven't had a salon pedicure in years. I don't have sweaty feet. I remove my sneakers and socks as soon as I return from exercising. So this is incredibly irritating. I'm off to the drugstore to buy some Vicks, grumbling every step of the way. -
I know that this is an old post but, I wanted to help people out there who are suffering from toenail fungus. I was a victim of this humiliating condition myself, and it certainly changed the way how I communicate with people. Before I suffered from this condition, I love to surround myself with many people. Unfortunately, I picked up my toenail fungus during a vacation. My nails became rough and crumbly, not to mention that they were so itchy. Because of these, I can't wear sandals or slippers in public. It even came to a point that I don't want to go out anymore because of the appearance of my nails. I've tried using vicks vapor rub (as recommended by a friend) but it didn't work out for me. Then my mom told me to make use of natural ailments. I've tried using tea tree oil, cider vinegar as well as thyme. I also regularly applied zerofungus, which is a topical treatment. Of course, I also practiced good foot hygiene. Eventually, my infected nails got better.
Eventually, my nails got better
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I used tea tree oil on my fungal nails for a long time--strong stuff (the smell for sure, maybe the effects). I was never sure what made my fungus get better--time, or the products I used (which were numerous). The first product was a tincture of lamisil that my podiatrist gave me to paint on my nails. He told me it wasn't proven effective like oral lamisil, but it was worth a try if I didn't want the oral. That lasted a long time before I used it up, then I did the tea tree oil, and when I got tired of the smell of that, I started using nizoral shampoo on a foot brush (which I still use).
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I tried soaking my feet in vinegar. That' s what mom said so I did. But I was there for 30 mins. I could not move around or do things I want. It was uncomfortable for me and I'm also busy at school. I ask mom to look for another treatment which is easier use and would not require too much of my time. She got me Fungusil, a liquid something. So I tried dropping on my big toe. I waited for more than 2 weeks but it cleared up eventually. Hope they never come back. I don't want to experience the embarrassment and nastiness of it all.
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Yeah, that foot fungus (toenail and skin fungus) can be stubborn stuff! I have a chronic case of athlete's foot so the best I can do is to keep it at bay with products. But the day I stop using the products is the day my athlete's foot comes back. I've never had a full cure.
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I used Tea Tree oil for my toenail fungus, and it worked very, very well, and quickly. Vicks did not work for me.
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I have used tea tree oil for toenail fungus. In my experience it does work but it takes a long while simply because it takes a long while for the toenail to grow out.@ Sarah - I had read somewhere that you could use a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and the original amber color Listerine for toenail fungus. Which got me to thinking that perhaps it would help with other types of fungus as well. I have been using it, along with washing twice a day with Selsun Blue Shampoo, on tinea versacolor. It seems to be clearing it up. Perhaps it would work for foot fungus too? I had thought it would smell awful but the smell actually reminds me a lot of a product from years ago called Listerex Scrub and isn't that bad.
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I have been getting my nails done since I was thirteen years old and about six months ago a fungus showed up on two of my finger nails. I tried everything to get rid of it. I heard about Qbased Solutions on internet in youtube . I purchased this All Stop Toenail fungus Treatment http://shop.qbased.com/toenail-fungus-treatment-p/as00002.htm and after a few weeks the yellow look in my nails was gone. My nails are now clear of fungus and look healthier then they ever have.
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