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Nail Fungus Prevention

How To Prevent Nail Fungus Infection?

Even after treatment with oral or topical medicines, nail fungus could reappear after some time. Therefore, taking steps to prevent nail fungus from occurring is the sensible thing to do. This means you have to keep your hands and feet extremely clean and dry. Here are a few of the things “to do” to help you maintain the standards of hygiene that could well prevent nail fungus from infecting your hand or toenail.

Keep toe and finger nail clean

Keep your toenails and finger nails spick and span. Keep them clean, dry and reasonably short. If the nails are thick, file down those areas. Always make it a habit to trim your nails straight. Don’t cut your nails in a jagged way. After taking a bath, make it a point to swab your hands and feet dry. Don’t leave them wet. This way you could prevent nail fungus infection.

Choose the right type of socks

Wear the right type of socks. Preferably wear synthetic socks. They are good at keeping moisture away and that would keep your feet dry. Synthetic socks are better than cotton and woolen socks. Never let your feet sweat unduly. If your foot sweats often, then make it a point to change your socks often too. Choosing the right type of socks for your feet can help prevent nail fungus infection.

Use of shoes

During daytime, never wear your shoes continuously. Take them off once in a while. Preferably alternate your use of shoes. In other words, use closed-toe shoes on some days and open-toed shoes on other days. If possible wear breathable shoes. In short, choosing the right kind of footwear can help prevent nail fungus.

Use multiple pairs of shoes in case you have toe nail fungus. Otherwise choose to go barefoot but not in areas around public swimming pools etc. Nail fungus thrives in closed spaces where oxygen is less. Hence if you go barefoot, you are exposing the fungi to oxygen rich environment which blocks the growth of the fungus and therefore blocks the spread of the nail fungus infection. This way you could prevent nail fungus infection.

Use anti-fungal powder

Preferably sprinkle anti-fungal powder on both your feet and the inside part of your shoes. If not anti-fungal powder, use anti-fungal spray. Both could help prevent nail fungus from occurring.

Wear rubber gloves

In case your hands are likely to be overexposed to water, wear rubber gloves. That is a sure way to prevent nail fungus infection. After use or between uses make it a point to turn over the gloves inside out to make them dry.

Take care of skin around nails

The skin around your nails may often be fragile. Never try to trim or pick at that skin. This will give the microorganisms an opportunity to get inside the skin and cause infection, especially as the nail bed is the place that could get infected quickly. So if you want to prevent nail fungus from occurring, take care of the skin around your nails.

Take care while accessing public places

Going to a public place barefoot is a sure way to get nail fungus infection. You may not be able to prevent nail fungus from hitching on to you. Avoid that. Always wear shoes when you have to walk thereabouts a public swimming pool, shower etc. In fact, you have a reasonably good chance of picking up the fungus from those areas.

Ensure use of sterilized instruments in manicure/pedicure salon

If and when you visit a manicure/pedicure salon make it a point to check up whether they use sterilized instruments. Use of sterilized instruments can not only prevent the occurrence of nail fungus infection but also other fungus infections.

Avoid using nail polish

Never use nail polish to hide a nail fungus infection. This could worsen the infection as nail polish could trap the moisture making the infected area damp. Dampness helps the growth of nail fungus. Therefore, avoid using nail polish on nails infected with nail fungus.

Wash your hands

In case you happen to touch an infected nail, make it a point to wash your hands. Otherwise you cannot prevent the fungus from spreading to other nails.

Protect your toes

Always protect your toes from damage or trauma. For example, if your skin gets cut while trimming nails then you could get nail fungus infection. So also if something falls accidentally on your toes and breaks the skin. In order to prevent nail fungus from occurring always keep your toes well protected.

If you follow the steps outlined above, you could to a certain extent surely prevent nail fungus from occurring.