Nail fungus is an extremely unpleasant disease that is easy to catch: it is enough to go to the pool, the beach or put on someone else's slippers.But getting rid of the disease is not easy: fungal spores have a tendency to affect not only the nail plates, but also penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin and become firmly fixed there.
In advanced cases, the fungus goes into a chronic phase, and treatment is delayed for years.Therefore, it is very important to immediately 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 on 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 their own.If pathogenic organisms manage to establish themselves, they gradually penetrate all layers of the skin, increasing the territory.
The infection thrives in warm and humid conditions, which makes the toes an ideal place for the fungus to develop, especially if the person sweats excessively.Self-medication in this case is useless and will not bring success.The only way out: the use of ointments, creams, medical nail polishes.
The difficulty of treating the disease is also 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 of them in total).Each type must be treated only with drugs specially developed for it, otherwise even the best medicine will be ineffective.If you detect suspicious symptoms, you must see a dermatologist before starting treatment.
The fungus makes itself known by 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 burst after some time, creating cracks and ulcers;
- the nail begins to change its structure: it bends, formations in the form of waves appear on the nail plate, it becomes thicker or thinner and begins to fall apart;
- 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 the legs, deterioration of the condition of the nails and seek help in time, you can get rid of the disease in two months.Treatment 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 fungi that have invaded the nail plate.
How does varnish work against fungi?
Antifungal nail polish helps best in the first stage of disease development.The principle of operation is simple: after filing the upper layer with a file and degreasing the plate with alcohol, apply the product to the nail, after which the medicinal components included in its composition, thanks to its liquid structure, easily penetrate through the plate layer and begin to destroy pathogens.
After the varnish dries, the air stops penetrating to the fungal spores, for the development of which it is necessary, which also blocks their vital activity.As a result, deprived of air and seriously exposed to the medicinal components contained in the varnish, the mushrooms die.
Antifungal nail polish dries in about three to four minutes.After completing 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 is correctly identified and the right medicine is applied, after some time it will be possible to get rid of pathogenic microorganisms.Another thing worth paying attention to is that the use of nail polish alone is not enough for effective treatment, because fungal spores are also present in the skin around the nail.
In order for the therapy to be successful, the treatment must be comprehensive: in addition to the varnish, it is necessary to use accompanying creams and tablets.For example, one well-known company produces not only medicinal varnish against fungi, but also ointments that help the body cope with the disease.
Before you choose a medicine, you must carefully study the instructions and make sure that it is directed against the type of fungus found in the body (in principle, a doctor should do this, but it does not hurt to see for 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 - beginning of the third stage, the fungal spores will already be quite strong, and if a weaker drug is used, they will begin to fight against it, develop immunity and become more resistant.Therefore, when treating the disease, it is necessary to choose stronger drugs.
Brands and their effects
Currently, there is a huge number of antifungal varnishes, and as each case is individual, opinions about their effectiveness are different and often contradictory.According to reviews, they help some, others not.Another option is due to the fact that the nail plate was incorrectly prepared 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 pathogen, and the instructions for the drug indicate that medical nail polish copes with it.
French anti-fungal nail polish is an expensive drug whose active substance 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, occupying new territory.The duration of treatment with this drug, according to reviews, lasts from two months to two years, depending on the stage of the fungal infection.
Another product, a product of our manufacturer with formic acid in its composition, not only fights well against pathogens, but can also be used as a prophylactic agent.The active substance of the drug is polyvinyl acetate;contains Bacillus bacteria, due to which it has biochemical activity.
German varnish with the active ingredient ciclopiroxolamine, whose active substance is ciclopiros, is considered effective.Opinions about this drug vary, from extremely negative to positive, many agree that varnishes containing amorolphin are better.This may be due to the fact that, unlike the previous application methods, the manufacturer allows the varnish to be applied without filing the surface of the board.
This is not the best way of application, because it is easier for the product to penetrate deeper into the treated nail.In order for cyclopyroxolamine varnish to be more effective, it is better to file the nail plate.
How often you need to apply antifungal nail polish depends largely 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.
Whichever drug is chosen for treatment, do not forget the importance of comprehensive treatment and the need to observe the rules of hygiene.When applying varnish, do not forget that the nail affected by the fungus must be treated with a special tool: it is not recommended to file healthy and sick nails with the same file or cut with the same scissors.
You also may not give your manicure tools to other people to use, or take tools from them to treat your nails.It is worth paying attention to strengthening immunity, taking vitamin and mineral complexes and maintaining a proper diet.