Unsafe bleach usage for any purpose other than what is designated on its bottle is always a bad idea. The damage caused by bleach shows why all things on the internet should be examined for a proper source.
No podiatrist or medical treatment would ever recommend this. Some sources on the internet suggest that bleach can be used to treat toenail fungus infections. This is a harmful suggestion for a few very important reasons. For one, bleach usage can cause chemical burns.
Harmful Side Effects of Bleach
Chemical burns from topical bleach are very serious conditions that develop when contact with the skin. Chemical burns are one of the most likely injuries to result from putting bleach on the skin. These burns develop as a result of corrosive, dangerous chemicals coming into contact with the surface of the skin.
Bleach usage can cause varying degrees of chemical burns. To avoid a more severe degree of irritation and burn, you should remove the bleach from your skin as soon as possible.
What to do if you develop a chemical burn
First, you should rinse as much of the bleach off of your skin as possible. Do this by running your skin under a stream of room temperature water for at least 5 minutes, and then thoroughly wash the surface with soap and water afterward as well.
Second and third-degree chemical burns occur when the chemical absorbs into deeper layers of skin than the most superficial layer. Damage to these tissues is more serious because these tissues are thicker, with more specialized cell types and more important functions to the body.
Unsafe Bleach Treatment
For example, when deeper layers of skin become burned and damaged from bleach, causes the skin’s natural protection from infection is to diminish. This is an important barrier from infection for the entire body, and deep chemical burns could have implications for the body itself.
Unsafe bleach usage includes the necessity for medical treatment for chemical burns. Treating may involve IV fluids, antibiotics, physical therapy, and cosmetic surgery; to avoid chemical burns developing in the first place, don’t use bleach on your skin at all. Toenail fungus is often an embarrassing and frustrating condition to treat, but bleach shouldn’t even be a last resort.
There are much more effective treatments available for toenail fungus out there that are overall much better options than bleach. Bleach usage has only one benefit, which is convenience. However, the inconvenience of a severe chemical burn is much scarier and more annoying to deal with than simply receiving effective treatment from a licensed podiatrist in the first place.
Safer Treatments for Toenail Fungus
While a majority of treatments available for toenail fungus lack effectiveness or pose risks of danger, there are some options available that are effective and still safe.
The PinPointe Laser is an FDA-approved treatment for the fungus that only requires one session to eliminate fungus. To learn more about the PinPointe laser technology and schedule a free consultation with one of our podiatrists, visit our website here.
