Avoiding toenail fungus infection is easier than you might think. It is important to stay alert during the summertime. This is typically when people get infected. Our nail doctors will give you the best treatment option. They first consult you. They determine if it is a toenail fungus infection. Furthermore, they will let you know the best treatment option.

Why do people get reinfected?

Toenail fungus is quite contagious. Nail fungus is not like chickenpox. If you get infected with nail fungus once and are able to successfully treat it, this does not mean that you are essentially immune to getting it again. Since nail fungus is all around us in our everyday lives, it is very important to take preventive measures in order to help ensure that this nail fungus never comes back.

There are lots of ways to help keep yourself from becoming infected again. There are a few different post-treatment care products available, such as creams, sprays, and nail lacquers. Also, if you know how you became infected with nail fungus in the first place, it would be wise to avoid doing what you did back then. In addition, staying away from people you know who have nail fungus is very important.

If those people live with you, try to make sure that they always wear shoes around the house to keep their fungus from spreading back to you. You should wear shoes as well, just in case. If you are really worried about becoming reinfected with nail fungus, speak with a foot doctor, such as a podiatrist, for some advice on what else you can do to keep nail fungus from reinfecting you.

Person Grasping Painful Toe

Toenail Fungus in the Summer

Avoiding toenail fungus in the summer can be simple. As long as you follow these simple steps, you will stay fungus-free!

  • Never walk barefoot in public places like:
    • public swimming pools
    • gyms
    • locker rooms
    • parks
  • Always wear shoes with clean socks
  • Avoid wearing closed-toe shoes for a long period of time in hot weather
  • Never share nail clippers
    • You can infect your nails if someone with fungus uses them
    • Always clean and disinfect your nail clipper
  • Avoid going to unsanitary nail salons
    • This is a common place to get infected
  • Do not share shoes with someone else

Public Pools and Nail Fungus

So, what precautions can you take? 

  1. Especially if you’re already infectious, keep your shoes clean by applying antifungal shoe spray or shoe powder to the insides of your shoes. Shoes can become warm inside while you wear them, which encourages the growth of fungus.
  2. Make sure to regularly clean anything that your feet touch during sleep. This includes washing your bedsheets often and wearing clean socks to bed.
  3. Make sure you dry your feet when you get out of the shower, then wash your towel. The fungus may spread to the towel and remain on it, which means that sharing towels is also a risk.
  4. If you share shoes and socks, disinfect and wash them as much as possible. However, the best idea would be to avoid sharing these items altogether.
  5. The final tip, which is the best way to prevent the spread of fungus, is to get treatment for it as soon as you can.

Laser Treatment for a Toenail Fungus

Toenail fungus treatments in Arizona can vary. If you have caught nail fungus, it can be easily treated using the FDA-approved PinPointe laser, which typically only takes one treatment. Other treatments like topical solutions and oral medication, are not as effective. Topical solutions have a very low cure rate. This is because the solution does not penetrate all the way through the nail bed.  This is because it can lead to liver toxicity. You would need to have consistent blood tests throughout the course of taking the medication. 

Our nail doctor in Glendale, CA, recommends this treatment for toenail fungus. The PinPointe Laser treatment has the highest cure rate in the market. It has no side effects and no recovery period. As a result, you can go about your daily activities right after the treatment. Also, there’s no pain.

If you have any signs of nail fungus, call us at 800-672-0625 at our Glendale, CA, location, or visit our website for more information on our doctors at one of our over 150 locations.