Apple cider vinegar for nail fungus is an inexpensive but effective treatment for treating infections even in the most advanced cases. But based on apple cider vinegar, various types of compounds are prepared that adversely affect fungal colonies. To get a quick replacement of the affected nail plate with a new one, you need to take into account all the features of the use of folk methods.
Effect of apple cider vinegar on fungi
Nail fungus or onychomycosis is a disease that is difficult to treat. Fungal spores can be infected in any public place where the humidity is always high and the heat is maintained. Microorganisms easily enter the subcutaneous layer through cracks in the skin, abrasions and scratches. Usually, the fungus initiates its activity on the skin, causing itching, redness, burning, and flaking.
Mycosis causes a decrease in local immunity, which causes the fungus to spread rapidly along the foot and its penetration into the thickness of the nail base. Onychomycosis develops gradually and the manifestations of the disease are largely determined by the type of fungus.
The affected nail initially becomes dull, gray, then gradually it begins to thicken, expanding in width. Over time, the nail plate began to crumble and break, pain appeared around the bed, an unpleasant odor.
All changes in onychomycosis can affect the entire nail and its edges or areas located in the growth zone. In further cases, the fungal infection from one nail spreads to a nearby one and reaches the other foot. The easiest method of treating nail fungus is in the early stages of pathology. If the disease is detected in time, then you can do it only with the use of external antifungal agents, and folk methods in the early stages of onychomycosis are no less effective when compared with pharmaceutical preparations.
Applying apple cider vinegar to toenail fungus can kill parasites. The use of recipes based on apple cider vinegar leads to the fact that an acidic environment is created in the thickness of the nail and under the plate itself, which has a detrimental effect on parasite spores. The increase in acidity causes the reproductive process and further growth of the fungus to be disrupted.
Apple cider vinegar also has antiseptic and disinfectant properties, which makes it useful for preventing fungal infections. Prevention of this disease is necessary if there is nail fungus on family members.
External use of apple cider vinegar in pure form or combined with additional components will allow relatives not to become infected during the period of the main "source" of fungal spores being treated.
Fungal Treatment Options with Apple Cider Vinegar
How to treat identified onychomycosis depending on the stage of infection? In further cases, external agents should be combined with the administration of oral antifungal medications prescribed by a dermatologist. Using only ointments, lotions or folk methods will not bring benefits, especially if changes in the nails on the feet have been observed for several years.
To cure fungal infections with apple cider vinegar, you can use various remedies prepared based on this product. It can be lotions, ointments with different compositions, foot baths. It is very important to observe the proposed recipe, because an increase in the amount of vinegar or additional components can cause irritation to the skin around the nails, pain, and burns.
Apple cider vinegar bath
Trays with the addition of various components with antifungal activity are widely used to fight toenail fungus. Apple cider vinegar is also one of them.
Easy baths are provided. You need to heat two to four glasses of apple cider vinegar and pour into the basin, after which the feet are soaked in the liquid. The effectiveness of treatment increases when several conditions are met:
- Before the procedure, the feet must be rinsed, all dead cells must be removed. Affected nails should be steamed and parts of the nail plate should be cut off.
- The duration of the bath is from 10 to 15 minutes.
- The first week of treatment, bathing must be done twice a day. Then the procedure is performed once every three days.
- Do not rinse your feet after a vinegar bath. They can just be dried with a towel and wear cotton socks on it.
Pure apple cider vinegar can cause severe burns. Especially if there is a wound in the leg. To reduce the sensitivity, you can dilute it with water in a ratio of 2: 1.
Compressing
Apple cider vinegar against nail fungus is also used as a base for compresses. The easiest compress is to moisten a cotton ball in vinegar and then apply it to the affected nail. There are other options for lotions:
- Apple cider vinegar in the amount of two tablespoons should be mixed with regular soda until a pasta mixture is obtained. It is glued to the nail, covered with a tampon on top and glued with fingertips or stickers.
- Apple cider vinegar is mixed in equal parts with glycerin or vegetable oil. In the resulting solution, the disc is moistened and placed on the affected nail. It is best to fix the compress with adhesive, and you can wear socks on top. Apple Glycerin Blend is also ideal for lubricating the entire foot. Application of this solution softens rough skin, kills all microbes, induces corn softening and can be used when onychomycosis is combined with mycosis, i. e. with fungi that affect the skin surface.
- Vinegar with iodine. Three drops of alcohol iodine should be dripped onto one tablespoon of apple essence. The resulting drug is applied to the entire surface of the nail, then the fingers are wrapped with polyethylene, and compresses are fitted with plaster. You can also use iodine as a separate ingredient to fight fungus.
Compresses with apple cider vinegar on the nails must be kept for at least three hours, and it is better to do the procedure at night, and remove the bandage in the morning. The nail bed becomes softer under the influence of the lotion component, so it is easy to cut.
Ointment
For nail fungus, it is recommended to use an ointment containing apple cider vinegar as the main ingredient.
- One hundred grams of crushed Kalanchoe leaves should be combined with one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, 10 grams of liquid honey and 30 grams of eucalyptus oil. The prepared mixture is stored in a dark place for three days, after which it can be used to lubricate nails affected by the fungus.
- Two tablespoons of apple essence should be mixed with dimethyl phthalate, glycerin and olive oil in equal amounts. The resulting ointment is rubbed on the nails; to enhance the effect, the fingers can be wrapped with adhesive on top. In the morning, feet and nails are washed well with water and laundry soap.
Nail ointment can be used twice a day. Treating nail fungus with apple cider vinegar will be effective if the nail is steamed before the procedure and the large, thickened part is cut off. But it should be borne in mind that in further cases, even pharmaceutical preparations with high antifungal activity for topical application will not help if their use is not combined with systemic antimycotic drugs.
Nail fungus treatment is a long process that lasts from a few weeks to one and a half to two years. And complete destruction of the fungus can be achieved if the administration of medication and its external nail treatment is used throughout the period of therapy without interruption.