The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sofia (Bronx, New York) on 07/13/2014
★★★★★
My big toe had a fungus for more than ten years. I have tried many different remedies but never did them consistently until 6 months ago. I had had enough. I started ACV again. I put it in a little bottle that I keep in the bathroom and every time I went to the bathroom whether to wash my hands or to use it...I poured the Apple Cider Vinegar right on my toe, before work, after work, during the night. I use open toed slippers at home so it was really easy to do. Once a week, I would cut as much of the ugly nail off and use the buffer. It took six months and I am very happy to say my toe is 100% cleared of any infection. It worked for me.
Nail Biting
Posted by Blue Sky (Toronto) on 09/02/2021
★★★★★
Ted's remedy of using:
1/8 tsp (one, eighth of a teaspoon) Borax for women, OR,
1/4 tsp (one, fourth of a teaspoon) Borax for men,
and 1 (one) capful of 3% (three percent) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
in 1 (one) liter of distilled water,
and drinking that 1 (one) liter every day, for a few weeks,
has eliminated nail biting. nails are growing faster as well.
I was not expecting that. I hope that helps.
Chinese Tonic Fo-Ti
Posted by Joseph R (Michigan Usa) on 07/04/2018
★★★★★
Was a nail bitter for 54 years. I started taking (Fo-Ti) He Shou Wu organic tincture for an unrelated purpose. 970mg / 3x
Bite free for one month now!
Himalayan Salt, Coconut Oil
Posted by Jay (London) on 01/13/2016
★★★★★
Hi,
I had a very nasty (disgusting looking as well) nail infection in my big toe and the doctors prescribed antibiotics for 6 months which after only 3 days started causing side effects and other problems. After a lot of research (thanks google) I used 2 methods just to be sure.
Everyday, after shower I would spray a premixed solution of Himalayan salt (sea salt is also an option that might work also), 1 tablespoon in 100ml, and let it dry naturally.
Also, 2 times a day I would put some coconut oil all around the nail with a cotton bud making sure that it goes under the nail and in between the skin and the nail all around. The soreness and pain disappeared in a week and the infected nail grew out naturally in a few months.
Thanks to Mother Earth. Coconut oil is also good for many other skin problems.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 06/12/2017
For foot soaking for fungal issues we have always used distilled white vinegar ($3-4 a gallon.) We use 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water and
reuse the soak one time. This has worked well for my family and has been inexpensive. I hope it works for you!
~Mama to Many~
Baking Soda For Split Nails
Posted by Ej (Nanaimo, British Columbia) on 05/17/2013
★★★★★
For about two years I had a thumbnail splitting along a ridge. Took baking soda in water, and the thing healed. Wahoo! I also add apple cider vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to the mix, but the baking soda seemed to be the key ingredient. I drink 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon baking soda in big glass, (12-14 oz or so) water first thing in the morning or at least one hour before a meal. I only drink it 1x per day.
Flax Seeds
Posted by Erex (Fayettville, Ny) on 12/24/2009
★★★★★
After eating for a couple of months about 3 tablespoons a day of flax seeds, which I was taking for another condition, I found my nails started growing in clear and healthy. I learned this quite by accident.
Swollen Toenail Beds
Posted by Melinda (WA) on 06/04/2022
★★★★★
A nice warm Epsom Salts soak worked for me. I only had to do it one time and it took all the pain and swelling away.
Nail Biting
Posted by Jeannie (Franklin, Wi) on 07/10/2010
I discovered this totally by accident and I have no clue why this works for me, but it does every time so far. If I drink tea with blackstrap molasses for approx. 3-7 days, I quit biting my nails and they seem to get stronger too. I'm assuming its the vitamins and minerals in the BSM, but I'm only guessing.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Gg (Denver) on 12/10/2015
★★★★★
I picked up a fungus from a yoga studio (shower). I first soaked my toe in Clorox with water, then thereafter swabbed full strength tea tree oil on in the morning & before bed and sealing it with a bandaid (also applied tea tree to the bandaid absorbant pad). As it cleared up, I trimmed the nail until gone and continued to soak in a tree tea bath and Apple Cider Vinegar. Healed beautifully.
Garlic
Posted by Leslie (Austin, Tx) on 04/27/2014
★★★★★
I absolutely cured my case of toenail fungus with garlic. I'd tried using tea tree oil, applied with a small paintbrush, twice a day for 3 1/2 months with no improvement (no worsening either though) when I thought about the anti-fungal property of garlic. So after trimming my nail back pretty far, and removing as much yellow "crud" as I could (I actually used a small pocket knife and sharp-ended tweezers for this), I sliced across a clove of garlic and simply rubbed it against the end of my nail forcing juice and some pulp underneath it. I cut off the corner of a plastic baggie to cover my whole toe and secured it with medical tape (mainly to contain the smell). I did this at least once daily, slicing the garlic fresh each time, always keeping it packed with juice/pulp and always keeping it covered. After two weeks, the skin around my nail started to peel-no big deal-and I once again trimmed my nail, scrubbed it thoroughly with a cloth saturated with hydrogen peroxide, and lo and behold, my nail fungus was gone!
By the way, garlic will also kill a wart- just put a new sliver-ONLY the size of the wart-on daily &cover with a band-aid. It will blister, then look like a blood blister, then scab over and eventually just come right off.
Sunlight
Posted by Cece (Amawalk, Ny) on 04/27/2014
★★★★★
Tonail Fungus SURE CURE. It takes time but it is working. For more than 15 years I have had an extreme case of toenail fungus on both feet & every single toe! My nails were a dark grey color and very thick to the point I had to file them down to fit in my shoes. I am 62 years old and a gardener. My feet are always wet and my feet also sweat. As a woman I would dread having to hide my feet in the summer.
I eat healthy and have good hygiene, and have literally tired everything on the market, from tea tree oil, Vics rub, to every fungus cure oil on the internet and in the drug stores. I even had one laser treatment -- VERY EXPENSIVE! The doctor told me it was a bad case and might not work. It didn't -- I would need several visits and over a $1,000 for each visit.
Finally, my boyfriend gave me the idea to do my own laser treatments with a magnifying glass and the ultra violet rays of sun. For the past 6 months I go out once a month on a sunny day and focus the sun's energy through the magnifying glass. YOU MUST WEAR SUNGLASSES FOR THIS!!! I focus the sun's rays into a little hot white dot over each nail and move it around until I can feel it (almost painfully) heat up. I do each nail twice! You must pay attention because when it hurts, it is working and killing the fungus through the nail! You will know when it gets a little painful to move the white concentrated ultra-violet light all over the nail and nail bed. It is worth it. Let it sting but don't burn yourself. It has been about 6 months using the magnifying glass on the first sunny day of each month. I am noticing that about half of each nail is growing in smooth pink, and COMPLETELY CLEAN. I thought I'd never have nice nails again, because fungus is tenacious, but this is going to be the end cure for me. The best part is that I did not have to spend a penny. I will give an update in 6 more months. My nails grow very slowly, yet each month there is more new nail showing as I cut away the old.
Horizontal Ridges on Nails
Posted by Angel86 (Europe) on 08/07/2013
★★★★★
I've had HORIZONTAL ridges on my thumbs for years, and after years of googling the solution, I finally found it... All I had to do is stop pushing my cuticles before putting nail polish. Thumbs are especially sensitive to pressure, so don't press them! They disappeared completely and never returned. That was 10 years ago, and I haven't had a single ridge since!
Vertical Ridges on Nails
Posted by Joy (Battleground, Wash) on 05/02/2013
Vertical ridges on finger or toe nails are caused by lack of hydration, either internal or external. For internal hydration, make sure you drink enough water and eat sea salt with iodine, vitamins and minerals so your body will hold the water, otherwise it will just flush it out and you will remain dehydrated. For external hydration of the nails rub with jojoba oil and vitamin E.
Infection
Posted by Lou (Tyler, Tx) on 01/31/2013
Vicks Vapo Rub for toenail fungus - contains thymol.
Infection
Posted by Elle (Crete, Greece) on 06/25/2016
I also have overcome many infections just by drinking ACV (apple cider vinegar). Make sure you buy from the healthfood store and on the bottle labeling itsays "with mother". The mother in it is live organisms that kill the virus, bacteria and yeast. It also alkalizes your ph as soon as you drink it. Drink through a straw and after rinse your mouth with water. It is to preserve your tooth enamel. For more info look up "benefits of apple cider vinegar". Amazing stuff.
Borax
Posted by Rosemary (White Rock, Bc, Canada) on 03/02/2012
★★★★★
I had soft, splitting, cracking, peeling and later ridged nails for years. Two months ago I started with Boron in the form of BORAX, 1/8th of a tsp in a liter of water a day for the problem with my bones in my feet. Well my foot problems are gone and my nails are beautiful and strong. I also take a number of food supplements like ACV, BS, ground flax seed, molasses, Brewers yeast, Lecithin and extra calcium/magnesium plus other vitamins but nothing has worked like Borax... I should say I am now taking it only 4 days a week as recommended on this site. I hope this helps you the way it did me.
Pau D' Arco, DMSO
Posted by Lara (Los Angeles, Ca, Usa) on 06/20/2011
★★★★★
Hello everyone. Several years ago, I had an ugly green stain under my thumb nail, which I knew was a fungus. It was very unsightly and I was very motivated to find a natural solution.
Somehow, I heard about Pau D' Arco. I found a bottle of liquid tincture-- I do not remember the brand-- at Whole Foods (in the US) and did the following:
-- I made a "tea" with it by heating up a small cup of water and added a dropper full of the tincture. The taste was a bit bitter but I not bad at all. I made this tea twice a day.
-- I also made a stronger version, much less water and added another dropper full and soaked my nail 1-2/day
--Sounds funny but I also gave the nail "sun baths" as follows: Whenever I was driving under sunshine, I placed my thumb on the dashboard. The sun is a power bleaching agent.
-- I cleaned up my diet: no sugar, flour, etc
I noticed the effects of my treatment within a week: I could see the spot was getting smaller and it disappeared very quickly.... it was gone in under a month.
Hope this helps you.
Nail Biting
Posted by Kay (FL, US) on 08/26/2014
Obsessive nail biting/chewing can be a sign of PICA, a symptom of iron deficiency (very common in women who are still menstruating). So try getting more iron in your diet (red meat, spinach, plumbs, prunes, blackstrap molasses, etc) and see it that helps. Also make sure your daily vitamin is made for women your age (thus has the proper amount of iron in it). If warranted, ask your doctor to measure your iron levels; you may need an iron supplement (especially if you have other symptoms like feeling run down, your blood is not bright red, inner eyelids are pale; these are all signs of anemia).
Articles
Posted by Deirdre (Atlanta, GA) on 07/11/2009
Multiple Remedies
Posted by AMD (V Ville, Ca) on 02/07/2009
Well, I had toe nail fungus for 20+ years on my big toe. It was very ugly. I tried a number of cures and by the time I finally got it right I had hardly any healthy toe nail left. It was raised, ugly, tore my socks and was ingrown to boot and very sore. What worked for me was white vinegar! Everyday I put a soaked cotton ball of white vinegar on my nail and secured it with a plaster. It did smell through my socks/shoes a bit, but I did not mind so much. after about a week the part of my toe where my nail and skin meet got very tender and red. I saw this as a good thing. I kept going. It has been 3 months and I showed my partner my toe and she could not believe it. It is perfect! No joke. I am thrilled. I had tried all the oils. vicks etc, but the white vinegar is what worked for me
blessings..
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Jules (Tioga County, PA) on 03/06/2020
★★★★★
Tea tree oil, applied directly in and around the toenail, quickly eliminates discoloring.
Smashed Fingernail Remedies
Posted by Robert Henry (Ten Mile, Tn.) on 06/08/2015
HI U OLE PATOOTS DOIN, , , , , , , , , I'm in a better mood today, but the spooks are still after the natural folks and it is now world wide. I gonna tell you ATS and then do a simi-rant.
Back in the late 60's, I was working in a paper mill in SW Arkansas. The little town had only two doctors. I smashed my thumb in a car door and naturally it swole up and the pain was excruciating and blood filled my nail. I went to Ole Doc Peacock, who always had a cigar butt in his mouth. He looked at my thumb , opened his desk drawer, pulled out a large paper clip, straighten one end out, heated it with is cigar lighter and stuck it through my thumb nail. Blood went every where. He just took a paper towel, held my thumb over his waste basket and bled my thumb down. These days they would have a medical hearing on such nonsense.
I could not believe the relief, before, , , , my thumb knew every heart beat.... it was that painful. I was now good to go. Can you imagine a snot nose, preppy type doctor doing that this day and time. First, your family doctor would give you a pain prescription and then refer you to a surgeon. Ole Doc Peacock took care of the problem with a paper clip, a zippo lighter, and his waste can.
Now for my rant. I have a health problem that I am addressing. My plan is that if my program shows any set back then I was going to Dr Shallenberger or one other Doctor that addresses your immune system instead of your cancer. Cancer can not live in an alkaline or oxygen environment. Your immune system will kill cancer cells if it can recognize them. The cancer cell is coated with a protein so it is identified as friend, and thus not destroyed.
The other doctor I am speaking, went to Africa and cured the Ebola doctors in a few days with direct ozone shots. He did that so they could then treat the people. What happened? A few months ago the world was coming to an end, now the problem is no longer front page news. Ebola was to be the next big money maker. Ozone shut that money maker program down PDQ.
How did Methuselah live to be 969 years old? One of the reasons is that the oxygen he breathed was not 21%, it was much higher back in those days when the world's forests were still standing and the sheep had not turned half the world to a sand desert.
Dr Shallenberger is a torn in the side of Allopathic medicine and if you research. They have been after him for many years. I can promise you this, , , , , , , there is no reason for cancer, diabetes, heart and dementia to be a problem in this world. It all can be handled with simple natural solutions. The problem is that if you come up with a simple solution then you will be destroyed.
Hell, they are even after poor ole Dr Oz.
AYSM=====ORH=========
Smashed Fingernail Remedies
Posted by Joy (Thailand) on 06/09/2015
Hi ORH, I want to thank you again for your interesting posts, I request that you keep up your writing to EC. Yes, I totally agree thar some of the old doctors from 50's and 60's had a lot of common sense. We had one elderly GP whose evening surgeries were so busy that some of the patients would take flasks of tea and sandwiches as the doctor would not rush with anyone and sometimes people would not get home until late, they sometimes were not given prescription medicines just old fashioned remedies from the kitchen cupboard. Thanks again for all of your postings and good luck with all of your health issues.
Biotin
Posted by Keara (NYC, NY) on 06/11/2014
★★★★★
My nails became weak, and broke a lot. I took biotin for a few months, and they are long, medium strength and are not breaking at all. It definitely worked for me - I'm delighted.
Vertical Ridges on Nails
Posted by Joy (Battleground, Wash) on 05/03/2013
I agree: be careful when you open the refridge to get something to satisfy you that you are not mistaking a thirst signal for hunger. Close the refridgerator and get a nice glass of water , drink it, then wait half an hour .... if you find yourself opening the cupboard or refridge again.... get a second glass of water, drink it and wait another half an hour , then you can know it's hunger not thirst.
We eat more than we drink and think we are not thirsty.... overeating dehydrates the body further ...
I drank a lot of water and was DEHYDRATED from lack of magnesium. Low magnesium causes us to be vulnerable to multiple health problems.
Infection
Posted by Debbie (Melbourne, Australia ) on 04/04/2012
I had a fungal infection on two big toes and cleared it up with just drinking ACV twice a day in water (2 tblespns).
Borax
Posted by Jo (in Perth Australia) on 09/29/2023
★★★★★
I took borax for my broken bones and noticed a similar thing. The urge to nibble my nails was dramatically reduced. It felt like my nails were stronger, but that couldn't possibly have happened so fast (in hours).
In any case, breaking my wrist was the start of six months of great nails. I relapsed eventually. But in the years since I have tried a borax supplement again and the effect is repeatable. I suspect strontium helps too.
Once or twice a year I mix 10g of Borax in a 1 litre bottle and store it in the fridge. I drink about 20-30ml a day with a touch of vinegar to neutralize the alkalinity. It was an effective dose of ~300mg borax (so ~30mg boron). After a month or so I lose the drive to keep doing it, so take a break. I tried for years taking 3mg boron supplements of sort and never noticed anything.
Nail Psoriasis
Posted by Debbie (Melbourne, Australia ) on 09/08/2011
Cindy, has your sister ever tried Colloidal Silver (internally)?
The meds might only be helping her because she is on them but they won't "cure" her only the symptoms.
She also needs to look at mineral deficiencies (colloidal minerals), vitamins, digestive issues etc. Colloidal silver is wonderful for many many disease states (will kill bacteria, fungus etc. Etc. ). Chlorophyl, spirulina, chlorella will cleanse the blood. Only a suggestion.
