Q: All 10 of my toenails have nail fungus. They look like the surface of another plant. In order to wear sandals I have to glue on fake fingernails. Sometimes they pop off and reveal this hideous looking toenail—it happens all the time. (Talk about embarrassing—try having sex and realizing that one of your toenails fell off.) What can I do?
A: Now that you've redefined a toe-curling sexual experience, let's nail down a few facts: About 20 percent of Americans suffer destroyed nails, and the most common cause is trauma to the nail combined with some exposure to a fungus or bacterial infection that eats away and destroys it. (Other causes include the skin condition psoriasis or cosmetics allergies.) But luckily, you can take matters into your own feet. Here's how:
- Don't abuse your nails by using them like a screwdriver.
- If your nails are really brittle, have a blood test to check your thyroid gland function and ensure that you have adequate protein in your diet.
- Beware of the nail salon where the manicurist can both damage your nail (with scissors or chemicals) and contaminate you with someone else's fungus.
- Keep your nails dry with absorbent socks or open toe shoes (we won't look, promise).
- Don't walk barefoot unless the floor is clean enough to lick. Bacteria hide in the cracks on the shower floor and love an opportunity to give you athlete's foot or nail fungus infection.
For home remedies, try tea tree oil and vinegar; they can work when your problem doesn't stem from an infection (which happens quite often). But these compounds can't clear a fungus because they can't penetrate deep beneath the nail. The best medical treatment is with potentially toxic antifungal drugs taken by mouth (like Lamisil). About 1 in 10,000 have bad liver complications from these medications, so unless the nails are bothering you, treatment is often avoided. In any case, you must be patient since fingernails grow in over 6 months and toenails can take a year.
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