Bleach and other fungus “treatments” can be harmful. Bleach is a harsh chemical cleaning product recommended for disinfecting surfaces like in bathrooms. Some internet sites recommend using bleach to treat toenail fungus. The use of bleach on toenail fungus is one of many “home remedies” for fungus recommended online. These are all very ineffective, and most likely will not give you the results you desire.

While at home and DIY treatments for toenail fungus aren’t effective, some of them are worse ideas than others. Bleach is one of the worst of these because it comes with many downsides and negative effects as well. 

Why not use bleach as a treatment option

The recommendation to use bleach on your toenails should be something that makes you take a second look at sources you find on the internet. Bleach is a chemical cleaning product and not a medical treatment. 

In fact, using bleach on the skin can cause serious damage to the tissue. This is why the label on the package warns against getting the chemical on your skin. Putting bleach on your toe is likely to irritate the skin more, and could cause more serious health concerns.

Common symptoms of chemical burns include redness, irritation, burning, and pain. Also, when chemical burns are more severe, they can cause blistering, numbness, and in very severe situations even systemic issues. Systemic symptoms from chemical burns occur when the chemical gets into the bloodstream. When this happens, cough, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, headache, muscle twitching, and seizures among others are possible symptoms.

Dangers of Chemical Burns

To ensure bleach doesn’t cause a chemical burn, the best thing to do is not use bleach on the skin at all. Medical professionals would also suggest this due to the properties of bleach. By avoiding using bleach on the skin, it won’t have the opportunity to cause a chemical burn. However, if you do get some bleach on the skin, you should rinse it off immediately with water.

After rinsing it off, you can use soap and water to get rid of any residual bleach on your skin. After rinsing off the bleach, assess the damage done to your skin. If you have noticed symptoms of a moderate or severe chemical burn, or you are in pain, you should be seen by a medical professional immediately. Severe chemical burns are a medical emergency. 

Other DIY treatments

Bleach is also ineffective at treating the fungus itself. It is not a good antifungal agent, and can’t properly penetrate through the nail into the nail bed where the fungus resides. This is similar to other DIY home treatment methods for fungus, like Vicks vapor rub. If you are set on trying to treat fungus at home, there are over-the-counter prescription creams that you can get to try and cure the fungus. However, these are very weak and could even take years to see any improvement at all, much less a fully cleared nail.

These are definitely a better option to try than bleach however since they are much less likely to cause a reaction. Any reaction caused by these products is caused by individual intolerance or allergy to the active ingredient, as compared to bleach which will cause a reaction in everyone. Bleach and other fungus “treatments” can be harmful.

Recommended Treatments

Bleach and other fungus “treatments” can be harmful. Aside from bleach and other DIY home methods, there are prescription medications available for fungus as well. The best thing to do when trying to cure a fungus once and for all is to be seen by a licensed podiatrist since they are doctors who specialize in treating issues with the feet. A podiatrist will be able to give you a treatment plan that is backed by science, and hopefully minimize negative effects from the treatment they prescribe. 

Laser for Toenail Fungus

However, not all prescription or medical treatments for fungus are made the same. For example, prescription oral medications for fungus can be very dangerous for the liver. There are medical treatments that are safe for fungus, however. The safest treatment available is also the most effective: the PinPointe Laser treatment.

This laser only requires one treatment to eliminate the fungus and has no side effects. To learn more about this treatment or schedule a free consultation with a licensed podiatrist, give us a call at 1-(800) 672-0625 or visit our website for more information.