Fungal Nail Infections: Other Treatment

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Other Treatment

Nonsurgical nail removal may be used to treat severe or recurring fungal nail infections. A urea ointment is applied to the nail, which softens and dissolves it so that it can be easily removed. After the diseased nail tissue is removed, an antifungal cream can be applied directly to the infected area. This is likely to be more effective than using one of these treatments alone. Nail removal is rarely necessary.

Nonsurgical nail removal can be done to remove either the entire nail plate (avulsion) or part of the nail plate (debridement). This procedure is almost always painless.

Complementary therapy

Some people consider tea tree oil or cream to be an effective alternative for treating and preventing athlete's foot and mild fungal nail infections. It is typically used to treat minor cuts, burns, acne, athlete's foot, mild fungal nail infections, vaginal yeast infections, and respiratory problems (added to a bath or vaporizer).⁸ There is little research on how effective tea tree oil is for fungal nail infections.

Some people have found Vicks VapoRub to be useful for treating fungal nail infections. But no studies have been done to look at how effective Vicks VapoRub is in treating this condition.

Last updated:	July 24, 2008
Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Alexander H. Murray, MD, FRCPC - Dermatology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC