How to treat toenail fungus is one of the most common questions I have to answer daily. Before we look into treatment options we need to first know what toenail fungus is. Toenail fungus can cause some pretty extreme changes in the nail’s aesthetic appearance. Discoloration, thickening, flaking, brittleness, and other changes in the nail are very common when a fungus infects toenails. In more extreme cases of toenail fungus, the nail may start to detach from the nail bed. Nails can even lift off from the nail bed completely. Fungus in your toenails can also disrupt the growth process of your nail, stopping a new nail from growing in. If you don’t have a nail present, there are still options available to treat your fungal infection.

Can I treat Toenail Fungus at home?

Treating nail fungus at home is not the most effective treatment but it is possible. At-home nail fungus treatment is usually the first thing that a person will try. The most common treatment options consist of topical medication which you can purchase at your local pharmacy. If mediation is not the route you want to go, you may also try tea tree oil. Tea tree oil nail fungus treatment is the more holistic approach to taking care of this problem.

What happens when the nail falls off?

Treating toenail fungus when you’re missing your nail is not impossible. Missing a toenail will make the treatment of your choice more effective. It is a huge misconception that if you don’t have a nail you cannot receive treatment. In fact, not having a nail on the nail bed may make it easier for certain treatments, like topical medications, to kill the fungus. If there isn’t a nail present, there is less barrier between the treatment applied and the fungus itself. 

Once the nail fungus has been treated, the nail should start to grow as a new healthy nail. If you had a lack of growth of the nail because of the fungus, your nails should start growing more regularly once you’ve eliminated the fungus itself. 

The best course of action to treat nail fungus

Whether you have a nail present or not, the best thing to do when you have a toenail fungus is to receive treatment immediately from a licensed foot doctor. Our doctors in Miami will be able to diagnose your nail fungus and provide you with effective, safe care like the laser treatment for toenail fungus. Our laser is the most effective toenail fungus treatment on the market and typically requires only one treatment to cure the toenail fungus. To schedule a consultation with our nail fungus doctor for the laser treatment, give us a call at 1-(800) 672-0625 or visit our website for more information.