Nail fungus is an extremely unpleasant disease that is easily contracted: just go to the pool, the beach or put on someone else's slippers.But getting rid of the disease is not easy: fungal spores tend to affect not only the nail plates, but also penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin and firmly settle there.
In advanced cases, the fungus goes into a chronic stage and treatment is delayed for years.That is why it is very important to promptly pay attention to the symptoms and start therapy with special drugs, which include special varnishes for nail fungus.
Why are fungi dangerous?
Fungal infections enter the body through microcracks that appear in the skin for various reasons.For example, this can happen when a person walks barefoot on the beach or the floor, puts on other people's shoes, or does a pedicure with tools other than his own.If pathogenic organisms manage to take hold, they gradually penetrate all layers of the skin, increasing the territory.
The infection thrives in warm, moist conditions, making the toes an ideal place for fungus to develop, especially if a person sweats excessively.Self-medication in this case is useless and will not lead to success.The only way out: the use of ointments, creams, medicated nail polishes.
The difficulty in treating the disease also lies in the fact that there are more than five hundred types of fungi that can harm human health (and more than seventy thousand in total).Each type should be treated only with drugs specially developed for it, otherwise even the best medicine will be ineffective.If you find suspicious symptoms, you should go to a dermatologist before starting treatment.
The fungus manifests itself with the following symptoms:
- peeling between the folds of the fingers, burning, itching, redness;
- the appearance of suspicious spots on the skin;
- the formation of bubbles is possible, which after some time burst, forming cracks and ulcers;
- the nail begins to change its structure: it bends, formations in the form of waves appear on the nail plate, it itself becomes thicker or thinner and begins to crumble;
- White or yellowish spots appear on the nails, which are not characteristic of healthy nails.
If you pay attention to the symptoms in time, notice problems with the skin of the feet, deterioration of the condition of the nails and promptly seek help, you can get rid of the disease in two months.Therapy usually includes ointments, creams and tablets.Recently, special preparations have appeared, which are healing nail polishes, the main purpose of which is to stop and destroy the fungus that has affected the nail plate.
How does nail polish work against fungus?
Antifungal nail polish helps best in the first stage of disease development.The principle of action is simple: after filing the top layer with a file and degreasing the plate with alcohol, apply the product to the nail, then the medicinal components that are included in its composition, thanks to its liquid structure, easily penetrate through the layer of the plate and begin to destroy pathogens.
After the varnish dries, the air stops penetrating to the fungal spores, for the development of which it is essential, which also blocks their vital activity.As a result, deprived of air and seriously exposed to the medicinal components contained in the varnish, the fungus dies.
Antifungal nail polish dries in about three to four minutes.After completing the procedure, do not forget to carefully close the bottle and disinfect all the tools used to treat the nail and the skin around it.
If the type of fungus is correctly identified and the correct medicine is administered, after some time it will be possible to get rid of the pathogenic microorganisms.Another point worth paying attention to is that the use of varnish alone is not enough for an effective treatment, since the fungal spores are also present in the skin around the nail.
For the therapy to be successful, the treatment must be comprehensive: in addition to varnish, accompanying creams and tablets must be used.For example, a well-known company produces not only medicinal varnish against fungus, but also ointments that help the body cope with the disease.
Before choosing a medicine, you should carefully study the instructions and make sure that it is directed against the type of fungus found in the body (in principle, this should be done by a doctor, but it does not hurt to make sure yourself).It is also worth paying attention to the number of medicinal components and their concentration.
If the disease is at the end of the second - the beginning of the third phase, the spores of the fungus will already be quite strong, and if a weaker drug is used, they will begin to fight it, develop immunity and become more resistant.Therefore, when treating a disease, it is necessary to choose stronger means.
Brands and their effects
Currently, there are a huge number of antifungal varnishes, and since each case is individual, opinions about their effectiveness are different and often contradictory.According to reviews, they help some people and not others.The second option is due to the fact that the nail plate was prepared incorrectly or a varnish was used that was not designed for the type of fungus that affected the nails.
Antifungal varnishes with the active ingredient amorolfine are especially popular.All of them have a wide spectrum of action and are designed to destroy the main types of pathogenic microorganisms.Which one is better to choose largely depends on the type of fungus that has affected the nails, so they should be used only after the tests have determined the type of pathogens, and the instructions for the drug show that the medicinal nail polish copes with it.
French varnish against nail fungus is an expensive drug whose active substance is amorolfine, the principle of action of which is based on the destruction of the cell membrane of the fungus.It not only destroys the cells that have already appeared, but also prevents the spores from multiplying and spreading, conquering new territory.The duration of treatment with this drug, according to reviews, lasts from two months to two years, depending on the stage of fungal infection.
Another product, a product of our manufacturer with formic acid in its composition, not only fights pathogens well, but can also be used as a prophylactic.The active substance of the drug is polyvinyl acetate;contains Bacillus bacteria, which is why it has biochemical activity.
A German varnish with the active ingredient cyclopyroxolamine, whose active substance is cyclopyrus, is considered effective.Opinions about this drug vary, from extremely negative to positive, many agree that varnishes containing amorolfine are better.This may be due to the fact that, unlike the previous application methods, the manufacturer allows the application of varnish without filing the surface of the plate.
This is not the best way of application as it is easier for the product to penetrate deeper into the treated nail.To make cyclopyroxolamine varnish more effective, it is better to file the nail plate.
How often you should apply antifungal nail polishes largely depends on the disease and the treatment regimen prescribed by your doctor.Some products are recommended to be used once a day, others - twice a week, when signs of recovery are visible on the face, the interval between procedures can be increased.
Whatever medicine is chosen for treatment, do not forget about the importance of comprehensive treatment and the need to follow the rules of hygiene.When applying varnish, remember that the nail affected by the fungus must be treated with a separate tool: it is not recommended to file healthy and diseased nails with the same file or cut them with the same scissors.
You also may not give your manicure tools to other people to use or take tools from them to work on your nails.It is worth paying attention to increasing immunity, taking vitamin and mineral complexes and maintaining proper nutrition.