Toenail Fungus
Natural Remedies

Natural Nail Fungus Treatments: Effective Home Remedies

Garlic

9 User Reviews
5 star (9) 
  100%

Posted by Kelly (Cinicnnati, Ohio) on 04/30/2011

to Jen ftom Vancouver BC-- dont know if you still read this (yours was in 09) but for fungus treatment.... To accelerate the garlic (1 clove chopped) effect, mix it with vapo rub (any brand) I used about a heaping tsp of the mixture and loosely bandaged it. I did it on my left big toe and it cleared it up in a couple of days ( whole toenail was black and had brown pus come out when squeezed--i know yuk! ). I got this remedy from EC, couldn't believe it worked so fast. Hope this helps. God Bless!

Replied by Kelly
(Cincinnati, OH)
06/07/2009
★★★★★

a while back I combined two things I'd read on this site for toenail fungus and it worked GREAT. chop a FRESH clove of garlic to release the juice and mix it with a tblsp. of vapo-rub ( store brand ok ). Prepare the nail (toe or finger) by cleaning,cutting as short as possible, and squeezing out any pus if present. then put the garlic/vaporub generously on the nail and wrap with a LOOSE gauze bandage. You will be amazed. The black will clear and new nail will soon grow. Blessings!


Garlic
Posted by Jenn (Vancouver, Bc) on 11/28/2009
★★★★★

Garlic, garlic, garlic!!!
It's cheap.
It's convenient.
It works!

I've had a fungal/bacterial infection on both of my index fingers for 5 years and I tried all the remedies suggested but nothing worked so I gave up. Shortly afterwards I started cooking with garlic a lot and noticed the fungus on my left hand was clearing up fairly quickly. I did some research and found out garlic has powerful anti-fungal and antibacterial properties. I stared using it on my right hand and it worked! All you have to do is split a clove in half and rub the juices in and around where the fungus is for a few minutes (3-5). Do this every other day before you go to bed. Don't rub the juices in vigorously for more than 20 minutes or make a paste out of crushed garlic and wrap it around yor finger because it will burn, literally. A little goes a long way. You should start seeing results within 4 weeks if the fungus isn't too bad, 8 weeks for extreme cases. Toenails can take up to 3 months because they grow much slower than fingernails.


Garlic
Posted by Dinks (Sydney, Nsw, Australia) on 11/12/2009
★★★★★

I have Fungus on my 5 toes, it originally started on my big toe. A Chinese Medicine Man told me to use Garlic and Boiling Water.

So I minced garlic put boiling water to it, and let it cool down so as not to burn myself (but try to have it as hot as you can handle it) and leave toes in until the water cools right down. Have been doing this everyday and I am seeing results, I can see the pink of my toe nails and moon, the fungus itself is growing up and vanishing.


Garlic
Posted by AC (West Midlands, England) on 07/21/2008
★★★★★

I read a post on EC that said:
[YEA] Anonymous writes: "I had athletes foot badly between two of my toes. I taped a cut piece of garlic onto the wound in the morning and looked at it the afternoon, and the skin was totally healed and looked like new. I couldn't believe it!"

It took me a long time to follow this advice, but when I did, I took it a few steps further.

1. I took garlic cloves and cut them into smaller pieces lengthwise.
2. I stuck each of the smaller pieces between my toes: the ones that had fungus and even the ones that didn't.
3. I put plastic/non-PVC wrap over the top part of my feet.
4. Put on a pair of thin socks and then another pair of thick socks.
5. Went to sleep.
6. Woke up, took garlic out and washed feet.
7. Fungus between feet was reduced dramatically.

In addition to the fungus problem between my toes, I apparently had some sort of fungus problem with my small toe. My small toenail was hard and black. The blackness reduced significantly, maybe by 40 or 50% overnight.

I smelled the garlic very strongly as I was sleeping but my husband (who hates garlic and won't even touch me if I eat it) says he didn't smell it at all.

I hope this helps someone! Coconut oil has also helped.


Garlic
Posted by Sharon (Chicago, Illinois, USA) on 07/06/2007
★★★★★

To treat my tonenail fungus, I followed J. Riley from Honolulu's advice to first trim back all the dead nail with a cuticle trimmer. Then I applied fresh garlic (I read recently that it has antifungal qualities). I chopped the garlic finely and added a little coarse salt to help grind it into a paste. Sensation is returning and all the skin appears to be tightening up and becoming healthy. The chopped garlic keeps well covered in the refrigerator and I apply it once or twice daily when I can walk around barefoot for an hour or two.


Garlic
Posted by GG (Houston, TX) on 01/14/2007
★★★★★

I've cured toenail fungus with pure garlic oil, also i take it internally to kill fungus inside which the fungus does start inside plus it has so many other cures, But also I want to note that toenail and foot fungus is from your bath tub and getting pedicures and wearing items that are used, it is contagious! Just wanted to share... thanx guys love the website.


Garlic, OTC, Apple Cider Vinegar

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Dean (Jacksonville, Florida) on 03/12/2009
★★★★★

Odorless garlic orally, minimum high MG. once a day for a month.

Apply 'Camphophenique' oil (green bottle) after mixing= 1/3 apple cider vinegar to 2/3 Campho. Or same mixture using pure tea tree oil & ACV. apply to nail making sure there is a potential for it to soak under the edges. Discontinue any nail polish! Polishes seal the fungus in and make applications very difficult to penetrate needed areas.

Dean, (Retired Derm, Army Medical Dept)


Gentian Violet

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 12/08/2015
★★★★★

6 year battle with toe nail fungus is finally over! After trying numerous OTC products with no success. Probably because of my lack of daily applications. I finally found a product that worked with only applications once every 3 weeks or so. And it only took 18 months. Starting out my big toe was solid black. Yuk! Now it looks normal again. I'm sure it would have worked faster if I applied it more often but its hard when your busy all the time.

Gentian violet is an antiseptic dye used to treat fungal infections of the skin (e.g., ringworm, athlete's foot). It also has weak antibacterial effects and may be used on minor cuts and scrapes to prevent infection. It will stain our toe nail (and everything else it contacts with...) but that is the working power behind it.

Apply with a Q-tip, allow to dye, put a sock on if you don't want your bed sheet with a purple streek on them from sleeping on them. Give it time, it does work.


Ginger

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Tammy B. (Anderson, Sc) on 04/07/2017
★★★★★

Coconut oil for sinuses, ginger root for nail fungus

I am a dog groomer-8 years I've breathed dog dander/hair/nail dust, etc.. and have kept a perpetual sinus infection, and eye infections off and on..I constantly worry about the constant use of allergy pills and decongestants, and finally on a whim tried the coconut oil in my nose, hanging my head upside down... The results have been unbelievable!! Worried I might be making a mistake, I googled "what if I etc", and got your info... Such a relief!! (I used the oil in my eye, also, and the results are just unbelievable) So far, all GOOD! Also, groomers keep wet feet and are often plagued w/ foot fungus.. I also had nail fungus, and first tried c. oil mixed with baking soda, which kept it from spreading, but that was it...

Then I tried ginger.. Fresh ginger root, smushed up under my toenails, as well as on the surface... Believe it or not, IT IS KILLING THE NAIL FUNGUS! In just 6 weeks I have almost brand new toe nail.. Almost completely gone!


Goldenseal Extract

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Kathy (Carrollton, TX) on 08/04/2006
★★★★★

I had toe nail fungus on one corner of one big toe for a few years. Over-the-counter products didn't work. I read that GOLDENSEAL EXTRACT worked, so I tried that. Used an eye dropper and also gently worked some under the nail with a metal nail file. It tended to stain the nail yellow, but it worked. I sometimes used tea tree oil too. And I'm thinking I may have tried hydrogen peroxide or vicks - can't remember right now. I think trying various of these home remedies helps. I also read that PAU D'ARC extract worked too, but I never bought it, since I got rid of the fungus without needing to try something else. Also, made sure the nail was dry before putting on socks and shoes.


Grain Alcohol

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Dara (Key Largo, Florida) on 02/12/2009
★★★★★

Fungus /Mold/ Skin Conditions: In regards to the fungus. I have tried grain alcohol (everclare) works great for internal and external fungus. If you have it on your nails, soak 2 times a day for 5 days for approx. 10 to 15 minutes. Gone! Do NOT have any open flames around the alcohol. Works great for jock itch as well. May sting a little. Grain alcohol kills parasites as well. Regular Isopropyl alcohol stimulates parasites to multiply they are called media-redia and ascaria. For more information get Dr. Hilda Clarks book on "Cure for all Cancers"


Grapefruit Seed Extract

3 User Reviews
5 star (1) 
  33%
4 star (2) 
  67%

Posted by KT (Charlottesville, Virginia) on 03/16/2013
★★★★☆

I used grapefruit seed extraxt (citricidal) on toenail fungus which I've been fighting for about 4 years. First, I thoroughly cleaned the area removing as much of the infected area (toenail and skin) as possible. I then applied a generous drop of citricidal directly on the area and covered with a bandaid. There is a warning on the bottle which says "do not use full strength on the skin". I did it anyway. I'm not recommending anyone else do this; I'm just saying that's what I did. The area was sore for about a day. I've repeated this procedure about 4 times so far with about 2 weeks between each treatment. The results? So far, my toenail has been growing back and there appears to be no trace of fungus. The area is greatly improved. I will continue with this process until my toenail is restored to normal. So, the citricidal seems to be working for me.

Replied by Renee
(Utah)
07/10/2015
★★★★★

I started with grapefruit seed extract and take 10 drops internally 3 x day in water. I also rub it on my toenail 2-3 times a day. The next day the hard stuff behind my nail started to soften and I could remove some. Each day I am seeing improvement. It is just amazing.


Grapefruit Seed Extract
Posted by Kate (Minneapolis, MN) on 06/24/2009
★★★★☆

Does anybody know about the effectiveness of grapefruit seed extract for nail fungus? I have used it for a couple of years. It did seem to slow the fungus but not get rid of it. Now I apply it during the day after soaking my toes in ACV (see my previous post).


Heat

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Frank (Thunder Bay, ON, CA) on 11/14/2021
★★★★★

About ten years ago, I had a nail fungus that had existed for about three years. I tried a number of the over the counter solutions and none of them worked. I talked to the pharmacist and keep in mind this was ten years ago and I don't know what's available now. At that time, the pharmacist said that there were pills but that they were only marginally effective, if at all, and there was considerable risk in taking these pills.

So, I started considering other ways I might get medication below the nail to treat it. At one point I even considered drilling a hole through the nail to try and introduce some kind of medication.

Then, having made wine for years, I was aware that if the primary fer-mentor became too warm/hot that the yeast would die in what's called a 'struck' fermentation. When that happens the must needs to be cooled down and new yeast needs to be introduced, to restart the fermentation.

I wondered, if heat can kill yeast, perhaps it could also kill fungus. So, here's what I did.

Apparatus:

I took a piece of congregated cardboard about six inches square and made a hole about a half inch in diameter in the centre. For those using metric, this would be about 15 cm and the hole would be about 1.3 cm. If you are treating multiple nails you should consider making multiple templates with different size centre holes commensurate with the size of the nail to be treated. The hole should always be smaller than the size of the nail being treated. The purpose of the cardboard is to protect the skin surrounding the nail, so that only the nail receives the treatment. One further thing I needed was a handheld electric hairdryer.

Treatment: So, each morning after I had my shower, I would hold the cardboard over the nail that needed treatment, and direct the heat of the hair dryer through to hole in the cardboard to treat the nail underneath until I felt a minor pinch. I would then wait about twenty seconds or so for it to cool down, and then do this two more times. I originally intended to do this for seven days, but in the end, just to be sure, I did this for a total of ten days.

I then just allowed the nail to grow out. The nail grew back and there was no more fungus. That was ten years ago and the fungus has not returned.

I hope this is of help to anyone out there that's needing this solution.

Regards,

Frank

Replied by Linda
(Minnesota)
11/30/2023
★★★★★

Thank you, Frank. I saw a Youtube video in which a guy had a fingernail fungus and he used a cigarette lighter on the nail for several days. He did not recommend it because he didn't want his video to be taken down (and he expressed that on the video). After about a week of holding the flame of the lighter a few inches away from, but directly toward the nail, his fungus disappeared and the new nail grew out perfectly. I was amazed to see that. Here's that video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2s-lXWmLkI


Henna

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Shelby (Evansville, In) on 08/31/2011
★★★★★

Henna is anti-fungal, thought I'd throw that out there.

I usually use it to dye my hair, but I've been reading up on it, and I'm going to try it on a persistent fungus near my eye. I usually just mix it with hot water and let it sit for an hour, then apply it wherever. Henna can smell pretty strong, but feels absolutely wonderful on your skin.

It has to sit and absorb for a few hours, so don't do it if you're in a hurry, and it can be a bit messy. Now I just need to figure out where to get those tiny little paint brushes to paint it on exactly.



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