Step 1: Avoid infection
Ugly toenails are often caused by fungal infections. Fungal infections are very contagious and are easily contracted in the showers and changing rooms of sports facilities and common swimming pools or sauna’s.
The fungi, similarly to common mushrooms, leave behind tiny and invisible spores which are attached to fragments of dead or shredded skin of infected people. Humid and highly frequented places where people walk barefoot are a true “breeding ground” for fungi and their spores. Avoiding contact with these wet surfaces, for instance by wearing flip-flops can help prevent infections.
It is always important to dry your feet properly (also between the toes) after washing or sporting. Especially after visiting common area’s it is recommended to treat (healthy) toenails preventively with a fungi inhibiting spray such as FunghiClear®.
Step 2: Clean shoes
It is very important to pay attention to your shoes. Make sure your shoes fit properly so the skin will not be damaged by intensive usage. Also you should maintain your shoes well and change them regularly. For your daily shoes it is recommended not to wear these too long (max 2-3 days in a row) and air them properly afterwards.
For sports shoes and sneakers it is important to dry them properly after usage. In order to prevent problems it may help to spray the inside of the shoes with one or two “puffs” of the FunghiClear® nail spray with Manuka. Do this before and after usage.
Step 3: Great treatment and compliance
Ugly toenails can be very persistent, hard to treat, and easy to return after treatment, even many months or years later. To improve the chances of successful treatment and regrowth of healthy toenails it is important to focus on two things.
First treatment compliance is essential. Even when symptoms have disappeared it is essential to continue to treat for as long as it takes to regrow a healthy nail. This can take up to a year.
Secondly for elderly people or people with a compromised immune system it is highly recommended to have your feet treated at least twice a year by a professional therapist such as a podologist or pedicure.
Step 4: Take good care of your feet
Lastly, it is important that you keep your feet in optimal condition throughout the year. No matter whether you are an active or not, whether you are old or young or whether you are healthy or impacted by a chronic or acute medical condition.
After all it’s your feet that “keep you going” and ensure that you stay connected and mobile. We all know that to stay in good shape we should brush our teeth and wash our hands regularly during the day. Similarly you should take good care of your feet and toenails, using a balming cream or a natural spray such as FunghiClear®.
