Fungal nail infections are a real pain! They’re officially known as onychomycosis or OM, and they’re caused by pesky dermatophyte infections that start under the nail plate. This leads to unpleasant changes in your nails’ colour, texture, and growth. It’s not pretty! Initially, you might notice some discolouration of the nail, and the nail might start to separate from the nail bed.

If you’ve got a fungal infection in your nails, don’t worry; some great treatments are available. The key is to eradicate the infecting dermatophyte. One way to do this is by removing the nail without any phenol and treating the nail bed to rid it of dermatophytes. Sounds radical, right? But don’t worry, there are other options too!

Your general practitioner might prescribe oral terbinafine to help treat your fungal nail infection. And if you’re worried about superficial fungal infections, a podiatrist can prescribe a topical antifungal cream to help manage the problem. There are many different antifungal creams, each with a unique way of working. Some create an antifungal pH environment, while others diffuse into the nail plate. Cool, right?

It’s important to note that fungal nail infections can be tricky to eliminate with topical creams because the infection starts under the nail on the undersurface, and the nail bed is often infected, too. The nail itself can be a natural barrier to the absorption of topical creams. That’s why working with a podiatrist is essential to develop a plan tailored to your needs. They’ll help you manage any secondary issues in your nail bed and get you to healthy, happy nails!