If you opt to use a nail fungus home treatment, either a "home remedy" or an over-the-counter remedy from your local pharmacy, there are some things that you must keep in mind for your treatment to work.First, and maybe most importantly, you must understand that the fungus lives underneath your nails, not inside or on your nails. For any nail fungus home treatment to be totally effective, it must attack the fungus from the outside and the inside.
The reason for attacking the fungus under your nail is obvious, but external treatment is also necessary because the skin around your toenail or fingernail is also infected. If you eliminate only the fungus below your nail, the fungus that remains in the surrounding skin will surely spread, eventually causing you to have to start treatment all over again.
Of course, the opposite is also true. If you eliminate only the external infection, the fungus under your nail will continue to reproduce and spread, as well.
The second thing that you must remember when choosing a nail fungus home treatment is the fact that the onychomycosis fungi (that's it's real name!) has a number of different strains. This means that some remedies will work on some strains while being totally ineffective on others. This is especially true with "home remedy" type treatments.
You can check this out for yourself by just reading information readily available online. You'll find some people that say a certain treatment (say...Vick's Vap-O-Rub or white vinegar) completely cured their infection. Others will attest to the fact that these same treatments are worthless.
The fact is, both groups are telling the truth. Most home remedies are effective, but just on some strains of the fungus. Taking this route to finding an effective nail fungus home treatment for you may require you to try several of these home remedies before (possibly) finding one that is effective on the fungus strain that is infecting your toenails or fingernails.
OR...You could hope to just get lucky the first time, but don't count on it.
Finally, always remember that nail fungus is just that...a fungus! All fungi reproduce by producing spores which, like plant seeds, grow into the adult fungus. Remember, too, that these spores (again, like seeds) can lay dormant for long periods of time before "taking root" and beginning to grow.
The point being, just because your nail fungus home treatment appears to be successful doesn't mean that the infection is gone. You must continue the treatments until your are certain that enough time has passed for the spores to die also. Otherwise you may think your problem eliminated only to find a new infection taking root soon after you stop your treatments.
Prescription treatments and most over-the-counter remedies have the treatment duration clearly marked on their label. Be sure to complete the entire regimen before stopping treatment.
If you choose to use a home remedy, continue treatment until you are absolutely positive that it's been long enough to eliminate the spores, then continue treating for another 2 or 3 months. Even then, it'll be like crossing your fingers and rolling the dice.