How to soften toenails with fungus at home: folk remedies

In order for the treatment of onychomycosis to bring positive results, it is important to know how to soften the nails with fungus of toenails and hands. This will allow medications to have the proper effect, due to the full effect on the inflammation focus, and speed up the healing process.

When do you need to soften the nail?

A healthy nail has a thickness of 1 mm. The plate has a pink color, a homogeneous and even structure. If these criteria begin to change, it is necessary to take action and remove the affected tissue with conservative or folk remedies.

So, softening toenails with fungus is necessary under the following conditions:

• the presence of grooves and cracks of a transverse and longitudinal nature;
• the appearance of spots of gray and yellow shades;
• changes in the structure of the plate, its delamination;
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• fragility, crumbling of fabrics;
• ingrowth of the roller under the skin.

Methods and means for softening

On the shelves of pharmacies, you can find a sufficient range of medicines for fungal infection. They have a different price range and active ingredients, but their effectiveness depends on how deeply the infection has penetrated into the thickness of the nail.

To provide drugs with access to infection, before medical procedures, it is recommended to soften the nail plates and remove the hardened stratum corneum from their surface.

Softening the nail with medications

Among the medicines, the following funds can be distinguished:

SALICYL OINTMENT. An affordable and effective drug. It is applied to the foci of onychomycosis 2 times a day. You can enhance its effect by pre-steaming your legs in hot water. The procedure is repeated once a day for 5 days.

NAIL. The agent is applied to the surface of the damaged nail after a preliminary foot bath. The drug is used carefully, trying not to hurt nearby healthy tissue. After processing, the nail is sealed with a plaster and left for 4 days. Over time, the product is removed, with the help of accompanying accessories, soft tissues are removed from the plate. The use of the drug is continued until the bed is completely cleansed.

URODERM. The product contains urea, which softens the keratinized tissues of the affected nail. It is applied to the foci of onychomycosis with a thin layer 2 times a day. If we are talking about an advanced disease, a bandage is applied over the drug. It is important to protect healthy skin areas from the effects of urea, as side effects in the form of irritation and inflammation can occur.

BIFONAZOLE. The preparation perfectly softens the nail within a short time. And in this case, urea was not without. The ointment is applied to the nails affected by the fungus in a thin layer, fixing the product with a plaster. After 24 hours, it is removed, the feet are steamed, carefully cutting off diseased tissues. The course of treatment depends on the complexity of the disease - it can take from 4 days to 4 weeks.

SCHOLL. A novelty in dermatology that actively softens hardened nails. The drug is applied to the treatment area for 10 minutes - this time is enough for the active components of the agent to have an appropriate effect.

CANESPOR (set). It includes an ointment, a special scraper and a plaster. The procedure for softening the plate affected by the nail fungus is carried out once a day. About 7-10 days, a positive result is noted. Gradually, the bed is removed with a scraper. The drug is used until the nail is completely removed.

Softening baths

It is possible to deal with nails affected by onychomycosis not only with conservative methods. Traditional medicine, which is easy to prepare at home, can also help.

BATH WITH CHAMOMILE. This plant has pronounced antiseptic and soothing properties. To prepare a remedy, you will need 2 liters of boiling water and 6 tbsp. spoons of dry chamomile inflorescences. Combine the components and leave under the lid for 2 hours.

Heat the finished composition to a temperature of 45 degrees and use it as a foot bath. Dip your feet or hands in the liquid for 15 minutes. After the procedure, the nails become softer, they can be carefully treated with a pumice stone or a nail file, cleaning them from diseased tissues.

BATH WITH ESSENTIAL OILS. 3 drops of any extract - juniper, orange, lavender or rosemary, add to 2 liters of hot water. Place the feet in the prepared composition for 20 minutes.

BATH WITH SODA AND SOAP. 1 tbsp. l. sodium bicarbonate and 2 tbsp. l. soap (household or tar, previously grated into shavings), dilute in 2 liters of hot water. Steam feet in such a bath for 20 minutes. After the procedure, you can treat your nails with hydrogen peroxide to enhance the softening effect. This is the most popular option among other procedures due to its availability and simplicity.

BATH WITH MILK. For its preparation, it is advisable to use a freshly harvested plant along with rhizomes. For 4 liters of water, you need to take 4 milkweed bushes. Boil them with boiling water and leave under the lid for 2 hours. Then the liquid is decanted and brought to a boil again. The feet are lowered into the infusion cooled to 45 degrees and steamed for 20 minutes.

Using compresses and homemade ointments

You can soften nails with onychomycosis using homemade ointments and compresses prepared on the basis of herbal ingredients.

TEA MUSHROOM APPLICATIONS. Thinly cut the product according to the size of the lesions. Place the pieces of mushroom on your nails and secure with a plaster on top. Leave the applique overnight.

COMPRESS WITH TABLE VINEGAR. Apply the product to the foci of onychomycosis, being careful not to touch healthy nearby skin areas. After 2 hours, rinse your feet with water.

COMPRESS WITH ALOE. Choose a dense, fleshy leaf, remove the thorns from it. Cut in half and attach to sore nails, securing the plant with a plaster. Leave the compress overnight.

OINTMENT FROM IODINE, GLYCERINE AND VINEGAR. This homemade preparation not only effectively softens the nail, but also disinfects it. Combine the components in equal proportions and dilute with water in a 1: 2 ratio. The ointment is applied to the foci of infection carefully, pointwise, since contact with healthy areas of the skin can cause burns. From above, the drug is fixed with a bandage. In the morning, the soft tissues of the nail are removed and cut off.

MULTI-COMPONENT OINTMENT. To prepare it, you will need to mix ghee, chopped onions and aloe leaves, wax and crushed garlic in equal proportions. Combine the ingredients and put on the stove, heating over low heat for 3 minutes. Apply the cooled agent to the affected nails every day before going to bed, wrapping it on top with a fresh cabbage leaf and additionally fixing it with a bandage. In the morning, rinse your feet with running water, cut off the exfoliated parts of the roller with a pumice stone or a nail file.

If you approach the solution of the problem in a comprehensive manner, you can get rid of the infection several times faster. Additionally, it is important to follow all medical recommendations so that the disease does not come back again.

How to soften toenails with fungus in the elderly?

Over the years, healthy nails are subject to thickening, and if they are affected by a fungal infection, the situation is aggravated. As a result, even expensive fungicidal agents cannot provide the desired therapeutic effect. Therefore, the nails of an elderly person must be softened more thoroughly with powerful methods.

We list them in the following table.

Procedure names	Description
KERATOLYTIC PLASTER	Sold in a pharmacy. The nails are disinfected and the product is attached for 3 days. During this period, the active components of the drug destroy the surface layer of the plate, while simultaneously destroying the causative agents of onychomycosis. To completely get rid of the disease, an average of 6 procedures are required.
PUMPKIN COMPRESS	An effective and affordable method. Cut the flesh of a fresh vegetable into thin slices and place on the affected nail plate. Fix them with a bandage for 10 hours or overnight. Then rinse your feet with water and start cutting softened fabrics.
BATH WITH ESSENTIAL OILS	Take 5 drops of lemongrass, orange, rose and lavender extract, add them to 0.5 liters of hot water and steam your legs for 15 minutes. The course is 14 days.

What will help the fastest?

If the pathological process is started, the nails have acquired a pronounced yellow color, a dense and loose structure, urgent measures must be taken. In this case, you can soften your nails in the following quick ways:

• Medical pedicure. Specialists in a medical institution will do all the necessary manipulations themselves - steam nails, lead the affected tissues are in order, they will prescribe high-quality medications for further care and treatment. This service is not free, but the most effective if you need to get rid of onychomycosis in a short time.
• Special drugs. We wrote about them above. These include Uroderm and Nogtivit - drugs that soften nails based on urea. After their application, the affected tissue of the plate leaves on its own within a few days. And in their place, a new nail begins to grow. The drugs act in a complex manner, in addition to a softening effect, they treat a fungal infection.

Can I cut my nails right after the procedure?

This must be done as long as the tissues are soft and amenable to mechanical stress. After the procedure, the affected areas are cut off with nail scissors, trying to capture as much of the nail as possible, and its surface grind with a file (disposable or pre-disinfected), pumice stone or sandpaper, achieving maximum cleansing.

The result of this treatment is an increase in the effectiveness of antimycotic drugs, which are recommended to be applied immediately after a haircut.

Do I need to remove the nail?

If there are symptoms of candidiasis and onychomycosis, such as yellowness of the nail plates, thickening, keratinization and an unpleasant odor, they must be removed. This step will speed up the healing process by reducing the need for long-term treatment.

Since the affected nail is characterized by excessive rigidity and coarse structure, it should be prepared for cutting by the methods listed in the article. If the problem cannot be solved on your own, do not delay the visit to the doctor. The specialist will advise effective remedies for alleviating and treating onychomycosis at any stage of its development.