How to take care of your nail fungus infection at home

Fungi thrive in damp, warm areas, so it’s important to both care for your infected nails, as well as prevent the
spread of the infection to other parts of your body and to others. Here are 15 tips to help you care for your
nails at home:

1. Keep your hands and feet clean and dry, taking care to dry between your toes after they get wet.
2. Wash your hands after touching an infected nail.
3. Moisturise your nails after washing.
4. When cutting your nails, trim nails straight across and smooth the edges with a file. File down
   thickened areas of your fingernail or toenail so that the lacquer or ointment can reach the infected area better.
5. Sanitise your nail clipper before and after use. To sanitise your nail clipper, wash it with soap and
   water and then wipe it with rubbing alcohol.
6. Wear sweat-absorbing socks or change your socks throughout the day.
7. Use shoes made of breathable materials or open shoes such as sandals /flip-flops to keep the feet as
   dry as possible.
8. Treat old shoes with disinfectants or antifungal powders.
9. Wear footwear in communal areas such as swimming pools or gym locker rooms.
10. If you can’t trim your nails yourself, see a healthcare provider regularly to have your nails trimmed.
11. If you go to a nail salon, ensure that the manicure tools are sterilised before and after use.
12. Avoid using nail polish and artificial nails when you have an infection because the nail polish traps
    moisture from the nailbed.
13. Nail fungus can spread to the skin between your toes or other areas of your body, so when getting
    dressed, put your socks on first to reduce the chance of it spreading to other parts of your body.
14. To prevent transmission to household members:
    • Wear flip-flops in the shower or disinfect the shower after use. Fungi can stick to hard surfaces, such
    as shower floors.
    • If you share a bed with another person, wear clean socks to bed and wash the sheets regularly to
    minimise the risk of transmission.
    • Don’t share or reuse towels. Fungi can cling to the fabric and transfer to other parts of the skin where
    they can cause infections like athlete’s foot or ringworm.
    • Don’t share nail or foot care tools.
15. If you just finished treating nail fungus, wash your shoes or disinfect them using an ultraviolet (UV)
    shoe sanitiser. If possible, throw away old shoes or other footwear you wore before starting
    treatment. The fungus can live in footwear, putting you at risk of another infection.