When it comes to your toes, you want to make them look as nice as possible. Summer is just around the corner, and that means that it’s time for manicures for ladies. Even men want to make sure that their toenails are well-groomed when they wear sandals. However, you can count on the fact that toenail fungus will ruin nice looking feet. Also, toenail fungus is contagious, so it is imperative that you get treatment.
A good toenail fungus treatment will consist of following the doctor’s orders. You should ask to be referred to a foot specialist if the doctor is not sure what you have. A podiatrist will do a biopsy to ensure that this is what you are ailing from. In the meantime, you might be worried your feet will get worse. Sometimes you just have a thickened nail, but either way, you should make sure you treat what is unsightly.
While waiting to hear back from the doctor, you should undergo a treatment regime at home. You can soak your feet in a foot bath to get rid of all the grime. You can even use a medical-grade soak if you get it from a specialty store. After your soak, you can rub emu oil into your feet. This will moisturize them well. Emu oil is known to have preventative properties for bacteria and fungus.
Then, you should put tea tree oil on your feet. You can moisten a cotton swab with tea tree oil and put it over the areas that concern you. You can put the oil straight on if you want an extra potent effect. Make sure you wear gloves though while applying it as it can burn. Then, you can put on socks and let the oils sink in.
If you want to reuse the gloves, wash them well with soap and water. Then you need to keep track of which area had the tea tree exposed to it. These measures might seem extreme, but essential oils can burn holes in your skin. They are better diluted in oil, so you can do that with the emu oil if you want. You only need a few drops of the tea tree oil.
Tea tree oil has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. You can try out a patch test with the diluted mixture on your skin first to see if you are allergic to it. You will know if it gives you a sensation that burns too much. It’s important to distinguish between it working and burning. The burning can leave scarring, so do the patch test on an area of your skin that is not exposed to oil directly.
All in all, you will want to ensure that you have a regime in place to treat your issues. You don’t want them to get worse or to spread your problem to others. Even after you get treatment, you can still use the tea tree and emu oil as preventative measures in your fight.