It is obvious that you have reached this page due to a quite embarrassing situation… your toenail fungus. Ewwwww!!!
Do not fret… I am a podiatrist and I am here to help you!
Whether you have an upcoming vacation on the beach, a wedding to attend or just want to wear those new, cute sandals, you should NOT have to worry about thick, ugly toenails beaming at everyone around you!
That is why I would like to tell you how you can effectively hide nail fungus with what we call, antifungal nail polish!
This can be used in conjunction with one of the other many treatment options for this condition (CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT THESE OPTIONS) or, if you have a very mild case of this disease, alone!
Can We Use Nail Polish to Mask Ugly Nails?
Can I use nail polish to cover my ugly toenails?
That is definitely one of the more frequently asked questions in my office!
Regretfully speaking, most of our major nail polishes are NOT recommended to use when you are suffering from thick, crumbly, discolored nails (i.e. nail fungus).
So… my answer is usually, NO… you cannot use just ANY nail polish when you have toenail fungus.
Let me explain myself…
Fungi love and thrive in dark, warm and moist environments. You can read more about this by learning The Risk Factors of Toenail Fungus!
When we apply average, traditional polish to our nails and/or toenails that have fungus we are trapping that fungi within its perfect breeding ground!
We are not only merely concealing this ugly problem, but we are also allowing it to manifest and rapidly multiply which in-turn causes this nasty disease to magnify.
We definitely do NOT want this!
Not All Nail Polish is Created Equal
Is there a nail polish that is the exception to the rule OR are we doomed to accept the fact that close-toed shoes are our only option to cosmetically hide this unsightly disorder?
The answer is YES… there IS polish that does exist that will not cause more harm than good; and NO… we are not limited to hiding our feet or hands in constrictive clothing!!!
There IS a solution to our problem… we CAN mask this horrible sight-for-sore-eyes AND actually aid in the treatment of this infection!
If you would like to go straight to my review of the top two antifungal nail polish solutions, click HERE now!
Now…onto what this special polish would consist of…
What Would an Antifungal Nail Polish Entail?
When I began my vast search for an “allowable” antifungal nail polish to recommend to my
patient’s suffering with this condition, I knew that I was searching for a dual-purpose product that not only addressed the aesthetics involved, but also for something that would have success in attacking the root of the problem… the fungus!
I was looking for active ingredients!!!
I came to the conclusion that our typical, natural antifungal ingredients infused into a product that could seep through the nail directly into the nail bed was a must!
Some of the active ingredients I was searching for were Undecylenic Acid, Tea Tree Oil and Amorolfine! These ingredients would attack the fungus beginning at the level of its cell membrane in order to inactivate and eradicate it.
Also… believe it or not, I do understand the cosmetic desires of women and their nails… I am a woman too!
We love products that are available in a variety of vibrant colors! We do not like BORING!
But… the product I was searching for also needed to include a clear tone. WE CANNOT FORGET OUR MEN!!!
Application of an Antifungal Nail Polish
Once I narrowed down exactly what I was searching for, I then pondered on how the application of an antifungal nail polish would work.
What would be the best way to apply this polish in order to maximize the effectiveness of the product?
I came up with a routine to get in the habit of performing when preparing your nails or toenails for polish application.
- Preparation of Your Nails and/or Toenails – You can visit my page HERE to see how to properly trim thick toenails. This also applies to fingernails as well! When you are
satisfied with your performance and prior to applying anything to the nail, make sure to wash away any debris left behind and then thoroughly dry your nails and the surrounding skin! You are now ready to begin!!! - Base Coat Application – An antifungal nail polish should have an available medicated base coat. This is VERY important. The utilization of a non-medicated base coat, defeats the purpose of using an antifungal polish!!! Apply your base coat and allow this to fully dry…this should take no longer than 30 minutes! Some of the antifungal nail polish simultaneously includes a bottle of the coinciding base coat.
- Application of The Best Antifungal Nail Polish – Directions for application of your polish vary slightly depending on the brand. It is imperative to read application instructions for each of the best antifungal nail polish brands that I recommend! You can do that HERE!
Expose Those Beautiful Tootsies
There you have it! You absolutely CAN utilize polish to hide this embarrassing condition, 
BUT it HAS to be an antifungal nail polish in order to simultaneously mask your disfigured nail AND treat the root of the problem to prevent progression of your disease.
Hallelujah! Go ahead and go for it!
Go showcase your beautiful nails! This is the PERFECT solution for your problems!
Now that you have your answer, I have a recommendation for SEVERAL options for the best antifungal nail polish!
Yes… I found more than one! Please click HERE to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each and then GET TO PAINTING!!!
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE TO NEXT POST: THE BEST ANTIFUNGAL NAIL POLISH OPTIONS!!!
Nails are important, especially for us girlies. I’ve never had nail fungus but my daughter and husband have it on their toes. And, because they rarely show their toes, they don’t do anything about it. I’m not against antifungal nail polish, but I’m assuming it could be quite toxic. My belief is whatever manifests itself on the outside is that there’s a problem on the inside. Could there be an internal fungal issue that needs treating?
Hello Sharon! Thank you for your comment!
As far as the toxicity of the Antifungal Nail Polish…the two products that I recommend are actually very safe with a list of non-toxic ingredients! They are all-natural. They actually pride themselves on this fact! You can read more about that HERE!
Regarding the fact that the presenting fungus on the outside of the toenail manifesting from a problem within, you are absolutely correct! I have a page dedicated to that. You can read about the causes of toenail fungus by clicking HERE!
Please take the time to read these pages as I feel it could really help you to tackle your daughter and hubbie’s condition! No need to let the problem continue to intensify!
Again…thank you for your time AND comment and please don’t hesitate to comment again with any questions or concerns that I may be able to help you with!
Hi Dr. Misty, so I’m a guy with that issue and have had it for quite a while now and it’s embarrassing at the beach for sure. I see your recommendation is the anti-fungal nail polish but my question is, do you have any recommendations for men? thank you, Jim M
Hello Jim! Thanks for visiting my site! I hope it provided some assistance to you! To answer your question… yes! I can recommend several options for men!
If your goal is to simply mask the fungus and provide some antifungal treatment, then there is actually a polish for you men! Dr Remedy Nail Polish recommends Loyal Linen, Promising Pink or Purity Pink in color (depending on your skin tone) that will hide this unsightly problem AND look natural! You can read more on these products HERE!
If you are searching for just more of an actual cure for your problem… there are three products that I recommend that have a VERY HIGH success rate!
There is Cure Ex Laser for at-home laser treatment of the affected toenails, a product called Zeta Clear Nail Solution that you apply topically and spray a homeopathic spray orally OR Purely Northwest Foot and Toenail System which is purely topical!
You will absolutely be amazed with the results of any of these three products! You just have to decide laser vs. topical and oral vs. topical only!
If you need any other further assistance or have any additional questions please feel free to leave me a comment and I will get right back with you!
Thank you and have a very, Merry Christmas!
I also heard that fungus (moldy stuff) is just like bacteria. It enjoys being in a moist and warm environment which allows it to multiply and colonize its host. I have some friends who have this nail fungus problem. They had no choice but to wear sneakers all the time. Some of them are men so that is no biggie. However, whether they were men or women, they eventually have to show their toes at one point or another. I thought nail polish was completely off limits when you had toenail fungus. I didn’t realize that with certain ingredients included, like tea trea oil, that some kinds of nail polish would do more good in the end. I still have trouble remembering the other magic ingredients like undecylenic acid and amorolfine. They sound a bit like tongue twisters, but I will definitely write them down and keep them in mind. I know these ingredients will help with nail fungus, but how long would the “treatment” take before the person gets better?
Hello and thank you for visiting my post on antifungal nail polish!
If you read my post on risk factors for toenail fungus, you will see that you are absolutely correct! Fungus does like a warm, moist environment. In fact… that is where it thrives!
As far as your friends go… wearing sneakers all of the time just makes the condition of toenail fungus worse. These sneakers end up being a petri-dish for the fungus… unless of course they are using something called a shoe sterilizer. My favorite shoe sanitizer is the SteriShoe UV Shoe Sanitizer. You can read my review on this product by clicking HERE!
Isn’t antifungual nail polish wonderful? It not only masks the toenail fungus to decrease the embarrassment factor of this unsightly condition, but also works to fight the infection! I only recommend sole treatment with antifungal nail polish when the toenail fungus is very mild! Here is the link to my favorite, most effective brands!
When treating a very mild case of toenail fungus via antifungal nail polish, treatment can take about 6 months. Again… it must be a very mild case for this to work alone. However, I really recommend combining the antifungal nail polish with the CureEx Laser for the most optimal treatment for toenail fungus. These two products work very well together!
Again… thanks for your visit to my site! I am so glad that it helped. Feel free to comment with any additional questions or concerns! Have a great day!