Toenail fungus can strike at any age, and while it’s unfortunately easy to get, curing it can be a lot harder.
But what about an at-home treatment: does tea tree oil cure toenail fungus?
The longer you wait to treat the fungus, the more difficult it will be to get rid of.
It’s easy to ignore nail fungus until it becomes visible and painful. These signs of advanced toenail fungus include yellowing of the nail, a foul odor, thickening of the nail, and a change in the shape of the nail.
When toenail fungus becomes this advanced, you’ll need a stronger treatment to be cured of it.
Although there are dozens of over-the-counter treatments to choose from, tea tree oil stands out as one of the cheapest and most effective ones to date.
Let’s find out more.
Does Tea Tree Oil Cure Toenail Fungus?
Extracted from the Melaleuca Alternifolia tree, tea tree oil is full of amazing healing properties that are used to treat a huge number of ailments.
It’s especially good for curing toenail fungus due to its antibacterial, antiseptic, and antifungal properties.
It has even been compared to clotrimazole, which is one of the most popular and effective treatments out there.
Along with clearing up the fungus, tea tree oil restores your nails to the healthy state they were in before the infection. This is a benefit not found in most traditional treatments.
Along with the amazing health benefits you’ll receive from using tea tree oil on your toenail fungus, you’ll also save money.
Whether this is your first time battling the condition or if you’re prone to it, you’ll find that it’s easy to spend hundreds of dollars trying to treat it.
Tea tree oil is not only cheap, but it lasts a long time – providing you quality, long-lasting treatment for a fragment of the cost of other options.
How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Toenail Fungus
There are many different way to apply tea tree oil to your infected nails, but before you begin, you must prepare your nails. This will allow you to get the absolute best results out of the oil.
This involves making sure they are properly trimmed and cleaned. Although small, this step is essential.
Get Your Nails Ready
- With a sterilized pair of nail clippers, remove the dead nails. Try to remove as much of the dead nail as possible without cutting your skin. By removing the dead nails, you’re making it easier for the tea tree oil to go straight to the fungus.
- File down whatever remains of the dead nails with a course filer. Not only does this ensure the complete remove of the dead nail, but it can also help expose more of the infection.
- Once you have finished clipping and filing the infected or dead nails, clean them with soap and warm water. This will remove any leftover toenail dust and other particles that can affect the success of treatment.
Apply the Tea Tree Oil
Before applying the oil directly to the skin, it’s a good idea to do a patch test.
Although tea tree oil is perfectly safe for most people, some with sensitive skin might not react well to the pure oil.
To make sure your skin can handle it, place a small drop of the oil on a large patch of your skin.
Wait approximately 30 minutes and check the skin for irritation. If irritation occurs, you’ll want to make a solution rather than using the pure oil on your nails.
To do this, mix equal parts tea tree oil and equal parts olive oil or jojoba oil.
If there is no irritation after your patch test, your nails should react fine to the pure oil.
Once you have your solution or pure tea tree oil ready, you can begin application. To do so, follow these easy steps:
- Soak a cotton ball or cotton swab in tea tree oil and rub it on the infected nails gently but firmly. Alternatively, you can pour a few drops directly onto the nail and rub it in.
- Using a nailbrush or new toothbrush, scrub the nails and surrounding skin to allow the oil to penetrate the area and get directly to the source of the fungus.
- Once you have brushed each nail, let them air dry.
- Once the nails have dried completely, you can go on with your day.
Alternatively, you can soak your toes in a solution after applying it to the nails. This is not required, but can provide extra relief.
To create the solution, fill a soaking tub with water and mix in 4-5 drops of your tea tree oil. You can soak your feet in this solution, but remember to follow steps 3 and 4 after.
Your nails should be completely dry in the end.
For best results, you should repeat the application of tea tree oil at least twice a day. The clipping and filing procedure only has to be repeated once or twice a week until your fungus is clear.
It can sometimes take weeks or even months to get rid of the fungus, so be patient and don’t give up on treatment. Your toenails will be back to normal in no time.
Here’s a good video on the matter:
Prevent Toenail Fungus
Once your toenail fungus is gone, it’s important to follow certain precautions to make sure it doesn’t come back. These include:
- Keep your nails short and filed to prevent buildup of bacteria.
- Wear gloves while doing housework that involves your hands, including washing the dishes or doing laundry.
- Always wear shoes in public places. Walking barefoot in places like the gym or the mall exposes your feet to an abundance of bacteria and germs that can lead to toenail fungus.
By taking care of your feet, you might not have to deal with toenail fungus again. If you do, just turn to your trusted tea tree oil to get the job done.
Have you used tea tree oil for toenail fungus before?
