Himalayan Salt, Coconut Oil
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.
Honey
I have been having honey on crumpets, english muffins & toast of a morning[not all 3 daily ] for the last few months and have found that my weak brittle nails have become quite strong and haven't been breaking. Is there proof that honey will strenghten nails? This is the only food difference that I have added to my diet.
Has anybody else had this success?
Horizontal Ridges on Nails
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!
(Pennsylvania)
10/15/2017
Thank you so much for your post. I've had these horizontal ridges on just my thumbnails for the past two years and in all of my reading, it would be some kind of deficiency or disease. If it were so, wouldn't the ridges appear on all of my nails? I have a tendency to pick around the cuticles of my thumbs so this was something I was starting to think might be the cause. Your post just confirmed it! Thanks heaps 😊
Infection
As a child I originally got a nail fungus from a splinter climbing up a garage door in the early 1960s. By 1976 I had three fingers infected. More became fungal as the years went by. They would clear up while on medicine but come back when medication was stopped. I had gotten up to six fungal nails by the time I had given up trying to get them cured before 2000. Between 2002 and 2004 I tried again and one new medication worked on six of the seven nails(I was up to seven nails by then). It was the last one that didn't get better.
I've been reading this site for two days because I have two nails that are fungal again, one last year, the other a few months ago besides the nail that never got better. Last year the previous oral medication didn't work anymore. On 3.28.12 I started using Piggy Paste. I will try the remedies I have read about here for fungal nails but my question is about the most recent fungal nail because it has developed a new problem. In the past month it really looks ugly. It has pus like a blister under the skin on the side of the nail bed at the cuticle and is sore.
I found this website "www.skinsight.com" with pictures and one is exactly what my thumb nail looks like. It says it's a Nail Infection, Bacterial(Paronychia). The pus will harden or go away but the skins peels off in a few days then it starts over again. If anyone has a remedy for this I'd really appreciate it. Just the fungus is bad enough but this really deforms the nail and makes it peel from the nail bed. Ted from Bangkok, Thailand usually has a lot of remedies, maybe he'll see this. I'm looking for help from all that may know one. Thank you.
(Worden, Il, Usa)
04/04/2012
I'm such a firm believer in organic VCO. Please read all the posts that is listed at EC under virgin coconut oil. All I know is that I have taken 2 tbs a day (internally) for well over a year and I can't remember the last time I was sick. Anytime I have a skin issue or infection, I put on the VCO and within a day or two, it is starting to heal.
You might consider that the re-occurance of your fungus is internal. Start out small. Too much could really make you sick. I wish you well.
(Bend, Oregon)
04/04/2012
(Melbourne, Australia)
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).
(St. Louis, Missouri, Usa)
04/05/2012
Thanks for all your responses. I do take Biotin but not the B-50 or B-100. I'll be trying it all. I haven't taken ACV in a while, will have to get some. Will also get the VCO. Taking natural product does a body good. I will also start back to detoxing to get myself back to cleaning out the stuff that keeps this on going. It seems like this has happened since I haven't detoxed in almost two years. Thanks again Debbie, Oregon and Sue M.
(Richardson, Tx, Usa)
06/23/2012
If that were me with the infected nails, I would use bacitracin ointment to treat them from the outside, and a baking soda/lemon candida pH cleanse from the inside. Most pharmacies carry bacitracin ointment near the first aid supplies, a pharmacist will be able to tell you where it is, or which product has it in it. I use it whenever I get a hangnail to stop nasties in their tracks.
(Tyler, Tx)
01/31/2013
Vicks Vapo Rub for toenail fungus - contains thymol.
(Crete, Greece)
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.
Infection
Hello, I have an infected 'hangnail' on one of my toes (I peeled the skin around the cuticles). It's definitley not an ingrown nail, it's just the skin on the side where I peeled is showing signs of a staph infection (slight one).
I am interested in using a tea tree oil soak but have no idea how I should make it. I understand overly diluted tea tree oil can create resistance. I am planning on just soaking my toe - so a small bowl. My idea is to get a cup or two of warm water and put 5-6 drops of tea tree oil in it and soak my toe for 10 minutes. Is there a certain concentration or precise amount of water to tea tree oil I should be doing? Sorry for the questions!
Thank you!
Liam
(Richardson, Tx, Usa)
09/28/2012
When I get a nasty toenail like that, I take a normal bath - add whatever you like to it - every day and cover it with antibiotic ointment every night (I guess you could use coconut oil instead) til its better. I see noticeable relief after 1 day and noticeable improvement after 3 days. Keep it covered in the daytime if you are wearing open toed shoes during the day. That and alkalize your system with baking soda and lemon water once or twice a day. Infections can only survive in an acidic host.
Multiple Remedies
Toenail Fungus.... I've read plenty on here on how to get rid of toenail fungus. I had a white spot on the tip of my big toe. Didn't think anything of it for a while until it kept growing and growing down to the base. It formed 2 white thick lines and a brown spot was forming. When I cut my nails there was solid white stuff under the nail I cut and the white and brown was already down half of my right big toe nail bed. That's when I started reading on here about cures.
I tried the ACV and Tea tree oil. And you really need to be patient here. I'm talking 3 months at least. I put apple cider vinegar on every morning and tea tree oil on every night. Every time I cut my nails, about every 2 weeks, I could see it moving up. Very little, but I could see it. I added Fungoid Tincture after about 2 months with FT and tea tree oil. And I only used the Fungoid for about 7 or 9 days and after that just tea tree oil. My nail is back to normal and it took about 6 months. So it worked for me. I didn't skip a day the whole time. You gotta really fight this. Now I put tea tree oil on about twice a week to prevent this from coming back.
(Richardson, Tx, Usa)
09/28/2012
For nail fungus, use lemon juice and coconut oil. Use one in the AM the other in the PM.
Multiple Remedies
Thickened and raised nails: I have suffered with tinea pedis on my left foot following years of illness with endometriosis and low immunity. That was 8 years ago, and I have had only temporary success from conventional applications such as Lamisil, but the nails remain thickened and damaged. I am currently applying 50/50 ACV and 3% peroxide morning and night. I follow with an application of essential oils in a tincture of organic olive leaf extract. The essential oils include Oregano, Tee tree and Red Thyme oil. I have 4 nails affected and thickened. The big toe nail is now separating from the nail bed, being one 5th attached. I have cut it back to half and apply the above remedies using a band-aid to prevent lifting of the nail. Does anyone know if it is likely that when a new nail grows back, weather it will re-adhere completely to the nail bed as before, and also it is starting to scoop upwards due to the separation of the nail bed - is it likely to stay that way?
EC: Tinea Pedis is the medical name for Athlete's Foot.
(V Ville, Ca)
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..
(Richardson, Tx, Usa)
06/23/2012
plaster = british slang for a band aid or sticky bandage.
Nail Biting
I have been biting my nails for years, and have tried various remedies. Even to the point of wearing gloves while watching t.v. or just relaxing. Please does anyone have a tried and true method? I will be grateful for the feedback.
What worked for me was to poliah my nails with a clear nail polish. When I would become conscious of biting my nail tips i would switch to biting the nail polish. While, in some ways it is replacing one disorder with another, as my nails started to grow and harden againg I found myself not wanting to ruin how they looked and eventually stopped biting altogether. It would probobly be a good idea to use a nail hardener while you are doing this as constant biting does weaken them. Also keep a nail file handy as if there are breaks or uneven edges it is too tempting to bite to stop them catching. Good luck as it is a very hard habit to break. Worse than smoking when it comes to a habit as you have to consciously go get a cigarette, your hands are just there.
(Franklin, Wi)
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.
(Richardson, Tx, Usa)
06/23/2012
What worked for me is taking better care of my nails, and my cuticles especially. And also I began to be more motivated to have them look nice for interviews and social outings. When I would be tempted I would think 'do I really want the group to see my damaged nail if I do this now?' at least wait'. When a dangling bit of cuticle or skin would tempt me, I would use my nippers (not regular nail clippers) to trim it down so I wouldn't be distracted anymore. I even keep a pair of nippers in my car so something won't bother me the whole time I'm out. Between that and keeping the ridges buffed and tips filed and using cuticle oil (olive, almond or commercial cuticle oil) regularly really inspired me to keep them in better shape. It isn't an overnight fix but will trend better with time and improve.
(FL, US)
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).
(Toronto)
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.
Nail Injury: Apple Cider Vinegar
I crushed the nail bed of my index finger a few days ago when my finger got caught (twisted and smooshed) on my luggage strap as I was lifting it down from the overhead bin. It hurt soooooo badly, I was certain my nail would turn black and eventually fall off. As soon as I got home, I soaked my still throbbing finger tip in straight apple cider vinegar for about 15 minutes. The rest of the night I felt sudden shooting pains. However, the next morning, my pain had subsided by 75% and the only time it hurt is if I pressed on the nail bed. 24 hours later, no pain, no discoloration. Yes!!!
Nail Issues
I have very bad swelling of my thumb nails plus they are marked like a fungus. Also down the side of some of may nails is black. I have aggravated them in the past and this is the result.
Please advise.
Nail Issues
I have vertical ridges on all my nails, and they subsequently crack on the ridge. Can anyone tell me what deficiency causes this, and the supplement I should take. Thanks.
(Toulon, France)
01/05/2011
My finger nails have many long ridges at the moment. I read a long time ago that this is due to stress. Makes sense as a sort of contraction at the base of the nails would cause this effect. There must be more to it though and would like some ideas as my nails are not pretty or healthy looking and do tend to break easily. Nails are essentially keratin and only the base of the nail is alive. Not finding info. On this... Help!
(Flowery Branch, Ga)
01/05/2011
I have the same issue with my fingernails. I recently asked a friend of mine who is a beautician for her two cents about it and she said I am vitamin deficient but which one, no telling. I can add that I take Prevacid which is known to rob you of your A & B vitamins.. Specifically, it doesn't allow for these vitamins to be absorbed into your blood stream. I just started taking supplements to see if I get anywhere with it. If anyone has further feedback.. Please share!
(Fairfield, California)
01/05/2011
I heard ridges come with age. I am 54 and also had them. I use coconut oil and just from getting the oil out of the jar the ridges have dissapeared! Love coconut oil!
These ridges are called Beau's lines. Googling this generally brings images of extreme cases but it can give you an insight into possible causes.
(Washington, Dc)
12/26/2011
I've had ridges on my nails for as long as I can remember, and as they grow out they split along the ridges. My former dermatologist had no idea why. My current dermatologist said they were just brittle and I should take fish oil. They aren't actually brittle - they're soft and flexible - but I got the fish oil anyway since it has other benefits. It has been about 18 months since I started taking fish oil and my nails aren't any better. More recently (about 3 months ago) I started drinking organic unfiltered ACV, usually 3-4 Tablespoons over the couse of a day. Still no nail improvement. In fact they're worse because a couple of them seem to have developed fungus - the nails are pulling away from the nail bed. I started applying ACV directly to the afflicted nails at bedtime. This seemed to help at first - I had cut off the separated part of the nails and they grew back in a bit - but after a few weeks the nails started separating again (even though I was still doing the nighttime ACV regimen). I'm now soaking my nails in ACV instead of just applying with a cotton swab (typing this with the other hand) - will keep soaking nightly and see if the condition improves.
(Washington, Dc)
01/18/2012
Trinh, in my case I don't think the ridges are caused by iron deficiency - I have always taken multivitamins with iron, and my iron levels have always been fine whenever I've had bloodwork done. Anyway, to follow up on my 12/27/11 post, for the last 3 weeks I have been soaking my fingernails in straight ACV for 20-30 minutes a night (had to skip a few nights here and there) and I'm definitely noticing an impact on the fungus. The nails are starting to grow a little higher up the nail bed (they had only been attached about halfway up; I had been clipping off the detached parts). I can also see a color difference between the new growth near the cuticle (light pink-ish) and the older growth (slightly darker). The new growth still has ridges, but I'll keep soaking to keep the fungus away.
(White Rock, Bc, Canada)
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.
Nail Issues
Why do I get black lines under thumb nails? Need to know what black lines under thumb nails could be caused by and treatment to get rid of this.
(NY, NY)
01/21/2009
Very interesting question and sorry, I have no idea what the answer is to that one. Sounds like some kind of deficiency or heavy metal toxicity. We need to locate a page on the web that has all the things that happen to nails and what they mean.
While we're on this subject, I have 2 toenails growing in pure white on my right foot. Can nail fungus appear as white or is this indicative of another condition? Thanks.
(Jeanerette, Louisiana, USA)
01/21/2009
(Somewhere, US)
03/23/2009
Some decent info concerning nail issues, and what conditions may be indicated, can be found at this link: http://www.hpathy.com/papersnew/traub-finger-nails-homeopathy.asp
(Cleveland, OH)
03/23/2009
Hello, Mary. I was just reading the posts under Castor Oil at this site right after seeing your post. I happened to notice someone mentioned having black lines on their toenail which they said indicated a nail fungus. They used vinegar and castor oil on the nail to heal it. Go to Remedies tab, Castor Oil Packs and you will see the "Toenail Fungus" post. Possibly this is the answer you need. Good luck to you.
EC: Here it is! https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/castor_oil2.html#FUNGUS
Nail Psoriasis
Coconut oil, add some tea tree oil or 3% peroxide. Also soaking feet in black tea, eliminated athletes feet, skin infections, and fungus, rapidly, in people with diabetes, and a fellow hospital patient I suggested it to.
Nail Psoriasis
Great site, thanks to all who contribute. I have had nail psoriasis for years now (no skin psoriasis) and tried several doctor recommended tratments without success. Ocasionally, the symptoms do improve temporarily to only come back with a vengeance later on. It does seem like stressful times are exacerbating the problem. Are there any remedies that you would recommend for nail (toe and finger) psoriasis?
Thank you!
(Houston, Tx)
09/07/2011
My sister has psoriatic arthritis and one of the symtoms is her finger nails and toe nails literally rot off - she went to a specialist and was prescribed methotrexate and humira - I wish I knew something natural but nothing ever worked for her but these meds - she hasn't had any more outbreaks since.
(Melbourne, Australia)
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.
Neem Oil
The person in question had it on their two big toes. The fungus was highly yellow near the top of the nails, then a frightening black near the bottom. Candida has been an issue, but is clearing up nicely thanks to MMS, finally--after strenuous yeast free diet and wild oregano, and more failed to do the entire job.
Anyway, we separated the nail from the toe bed somewhat so we could get the neem oil in there. It sounds disgusting but separating the nail really did the trick, I think. The Neem oil settles in there and will stay for days if you don't wash it out. Within a week the fungus and black was nearly completely gone. It was only applied 3-4 times. There is still a dark spot on one nail which is more red than black now, but I feel a couple of additional applications of the neem oil should finish it off nicely. Two thumbs up!
