Toenail fungus and nail polish can go hand in hand. If you have toenail fungus, you might feel the urge to cover up your unsightly nails. Most people with toenail fungus would regularly get pedicures at a salon or just paint over the nails. Hiding your toenail fungus under nail polish can do more harm than good. It can make the infection worse. The fungus can spread to the brush and infect your other toenails. It can also spread to other people if they use the same nail polish.
Why not use nail polish
Covering up the nail is not recommended because the nails would not be able to breathe. Nail polish may hide the symptoms but it suffocates the nail. It can also trap moisture that would make the infection worse. The toes are usually in warm and moist environments that is an ideal environment for fungal spores to grow.
If you don’t have toenail fungus, you have to be precautious when getting pedicures and wearing nail polish. Make sure that the nail salon is clean and follows sanitation rules to prevent contamination of nail fungus. If you’re painting your own nails, avoid sharing your nail polish with friends or other people. You don’t know if they have toenail fungus or not.
When do I see symptoms?
Toenail fungus doesn’t show symptoms immediately. When you wear nail polish for a long time, you might be surprised once you remove it. Toenail fungus can go unnoticed then show symptoms when it’s progressing.
The best option is to treat toenail fungus. Fungal infections don’t usually go away on their own. It will just get worse and worse if you don’t treat it. And as the condition gets worse, it will get more difficult to treat.
If you do need to wear nail polish like if you’re going to an event, you can use antifungal nail polish. It is designed to help treat or prevent fungal nail infections. Even if this polish has antifungal properties, it is still not recommended to wear for long periods of time. It is still important for your nails to be able to breathe.
Laser Treatment for Nail Fungus
If you have caught nail fungus, it can be easily treated using the FDA-approved PinPointe laser, which typically only takes on treatment. Other treatments like topical solutions and oral medication are not as effective. Topical solutions have a very low cure rate. This is because the solution does not penetrate all the way through the nail bed. This is because it can lead to liver toxicity. You would need to have consistent blood tests throughout the course of taking the medication.
Our nail doctor in Las Vegas, NV recommends this treatment for toenail fungus. The PinPointe Laser treatment has the highest cure rate in the market. It has no side effects and no recovery period. As a result, you can go about your daily activities right after the treatment. Also, there’s no pain.
If you have any signs of nail fungus, call us at (725) 216-7440 our Las Vegas, NV location, or visit our website for more information on our doctors at one of our over 150 locations.
