You know I’m going to talk about something gross that most people don’t like to discuss which is Nail Fungus. Nail fungus or “Onychomycosis” is referred to as “ringworm of the nail” or a “nail fungal infection”. Either way it pretty gross looking. Usually this cosmetic condition (it’s not life threatening!) affects the toenails and older adults. The reason is that as we get older are immune system has a harder time dealing with these fungi. People that have compromised immune systems also have issues with this condition. Another reason this condition is prevalent in 1 out of 12 Americans is because fungus loves to grow in warm damp areas hence this is why infection are more likely in the toenails due to wearing socks and shoes for more than 8 hrs a day….everyday!

How can you prevent Nail Fungus? Easy let your feet breathe! Wear more open sandals, wear socks that help your toes breathe if possible. Also boosting your immune system with the proper diet and exercise will help too!

However lets say you already have nail fungus ..what should you do? Well there are prescription treatments that can be taken orally like Lamisil. The pros of this treatment is that it helps to attack the fungus from the inside. However there are risk with this medication like liver damage and some people think it might be overkill.

There are excellent alternative nail fungus treatments and home remedies. One potent cure that comes from nature is tea tree oil (meluca). The mayo clinic has show that oil has “anti fungal properties”. However tea tree oil alone will not help cure Onychomycosis due to the face the fungus resides deep in the nail bed. Therefore combining Tea tree oil with Joba Oil will help the treatment penetrate the nail lipid channels to kill nail fungus at the root.