Nail fungus is an extremely unpleasant disease, which is easy to catch: just go to the pool, to 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 become firmly established there.
In advanced cases, the fungus enters a chronic stage, and treatment is delayed for years.Therefore, it is very important to promptly pay attention to the symptoms and begin therapy with special medications, which include special varnishes for nail fungus.
Why is fungus 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 floor, puts on someone else's shoes, or does a pedicure with tools other than his own.If pathogenic organisms manage to gain a foothold, they gradually penetrate all layers of the skin, increasing the territory.
The infection thrives in warm and humid 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 bring success.The only way out: the use of ointments, creams, medicated nail polishes.
The difficulty of treating the disease also lies in the fact that there are more than five hundred types of fungi that can harm human health (and there are more than seventy thousand in total).Each type must be treated only with drugs specially developed for it, otherwise even the best medicine will be ineffective.If you discover suspicious symptoms, you need to go to a dermatologist before starting treatment.
The fungus makes itself known 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 uncharacteristic of healthy nails.
If you pay attention to the symptoms in time, notice problems with the skin on your feet, deterioration of the condition of the nail and promptly seek help, you can get rid of the disease in two months.Therapy usually involves ointments, creams, and tablets.Recently, special preparations have appeared that are medicinal nail polishes, the main purpose of which is to stop and destroy fungi that have affected the nail plate.
How does varnish work against fungus?
Antifungal nail polish helps best in the first stage of development of the disease.The principle of operation is simple: after filing the top layer with a file and degreasing the plate with alcohol, apply the product to the nail, after which the medicinal components that are included in its composition, thanks to its liquid structure, easily seep through the layer of the plate and begin to destroy pathogens.
After the varnish dries, 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 fungi die.
Antifungal nail polish dries in about three to four minutes.Having completed the procedure, you must remember 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 has been identified correctly and the right remedy has been applied, after some time it will be possible to get rid of pathogenic microorganisms.Another point worth paying attention to is that the use of varnish alone is not enough for effective treatment, since fungal spores are also present in the skin around the nail.
For therapy to be successful, the treatment must be comprehensive: in addition to varnish, accompanying creams and tablets must also be used.For example, one well-known company produces not only medicinal varnish against fungus, but also ointments that help the body cope with the disease.
Before choosing a remedy, you need to carefully study the instructions and make sure that it is directed against the type of fungus that was found in the body (in principle, this should be done by a doctor, but it doesn’t hurt to make sure yourself).It is also worth paying attention to the number of healing components and their concentration.
If the disease is at the end of the second - beginning of the third phase, the fungal spores will already be quite strong, and if a weaker remedy 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 remedies.
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, 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 tests have determined the type of pathogens, and the instructions for the drug indicate that the medicated nail polish copes with it.
French varnish against nail fungus is an expensive drug, the active substance of which is amorolfine, whose principle of action is based on the destruction of the cell membrane of the fungus.It not only destroys cells that have already appeared, but also prevents spores from multiplying and spreading, capturing 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 from our manufacturer with formic acid in its composition, not only fights pathogens well, but can also be used as a prophylactic agent.The active substance of the drug is polyvinyl acetate; it contains Bacillus bacteria, due to which it has biochemical activity.
A German varnish with the active ingredient ciclopiroxolamine, the active substance of which is cyclopyros, 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 previous application methods, the manufacturer allows the varnish to be applied without filing the surface of the plate.
This is not the best method of application, since it is easier for the product to penetrate deeper into the treated nail.To make varnish with ciclopiroxolamine more effective, it is better to file the nail plate.
How often you need to 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 drug 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, do not forget that the nail affected by the fungus must be treated with a separate tool: it is not advisable to file healthy and diseased nails with the same file or cut them with the same scissors.
You also cannot give your manicure tools to other people for use, or take tools from them to treat your nails.It is worth paying attention to boosting immunity, taking vitamin and mineral complexes and maintaining proper nutrition.