How to HALT Toenail Fungus By Catching it Early
Toenail Fungus Episode 3
Sometimes, removing nail polish can reveal a nasty surprise. Early signs of fungus can look like white, flaky, crumbly bits on your nail surface. If you see this happen, don’t panic. Do this instead:
Use common podiatry sanding tools to see if you can file off the damaged nail. Use the coarse side of a file, followed by the finer side. Your pedicurist can do this for you if you can’t do it yourself. If the nail is still white, crumbly, or flaky after filing, but does NOT appear to involve the entire THICKNESS of the toenail, you can monitor it for three to four months to see if it is growing out. Toenail should grow at about one millimeter a month. Measure from the base of your cuticle and be patient. Here is a picture showing how long it takes toenails to grow out:
In the meantime, DO NOT use POLISH or GEL over damaged nail. Dry your feet and toenails thoroughly after bathing. To ensure the nails get completely dry, I recommend using hand sanitizer, or 70% rubbing alcohol to dry the cracks in the nails and under loose areas of nails. Your pedicurist should always use 70% rubbing alcohol on your nail before applying polish or gel. This should ensure the polish does not trap moisture in the dark space under the polish. Fungus loves to grow where it is warm, dark, and moist.
If your nail damage fails to grow out, see your podiatrist for an oral medication, debridement of your painful nails, or try the topical treatments described in this episode: Treating Nail Fungus Symptoms.
As always, this advice is not specific to you and I am not your doctor. Always consult a podiatrist who understands all your specific medical history and health risks before trying any home treatment or advice given in this post. Thank you for being curious.