Nail fungus -- Lasting effects?

SalonGeek

Help Support SalonGeek:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.

notmuffy

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2003
Messages
21
Reaction score
1
Hi everyone,
I just read Mr. Geek's "book" on the fun guys and the fungus part describes my husband's nails to a T.
Both his feet and fingers have that white crumbly stuff under parts of the nails, and brown streaks/specks on some too. His nails split in the way that toward the end its like 1 layer of nail sticks to the bed and the others split away and grow all thick and distorted. He says his finger and toenails have been that way as long as he can remember. His nails are only attached to about 2/3 of the bed (does this make sense?) and then he bites the rest off so his hands are heinous looking. (he's a builder so no one really looks at his hands, BTW)

Ok my question is -- he is 54 years old and has had this untreated fungus for as long as he can remember, and sees no point in treating it now. Are there any lasting effects or anything? I read that that treatment is harsh on the liver. Is he too old to risk this treatment?

Sorry I am such a nail newbie.....
 
My dad is in his 50's and he has this same problem on his 2 big toe nails...they are split and look like the nail is barely hanging on..he says they are getting more and more tender the older he gets. They have been that way since i was a little girl. He is a diabetic but he said his dr tells him that has nothing to do with his toe nails. But he wont go have it checked out by anyone else. So i still perform pedi's on my dad because he loves it sooo much but i bought him his own set of implements and they stay at his house in his night stand. Everyone else knows not to use them. Because i dont know what the problem is myself. So i tell him to make sure he keeps cuticle oil on them to keep his cuticles soft...if he does it i cant answer but thats all i know to do for him. So i would like to know more on this condition also.
 
Well my husband doesn't complain of tenderness at all, and really I don't think he noticed how awful his nails looked until I pointed it out to him :D
I scrape out the white stuff hoping that his nail will start adhering to the quick further toward the end of his nail. It sorta seemed to have worked on a couple of his small toes.

p.s sorry this is so gross!
 
actually - I secretly LOVE the gross stuff... :pukeoff: I can't actually remember the name of the medication that dr's prescribe for a true nail fungal infection BUT, you are right that it is harsh on the liver. I think you can only take the treatment orally for no more than 6 months - you then have to stop to give your liver a rest and then you can start taking it again after 4 months. I think the problem is that during your time off, the problem can re-occurr and then you are back to square one. Bit of a catch 22 but that's been my experience!! Hope this has helped some - you should take pics so we can all :puke: over them - poor huby!!!
 
It has been discussed several times on the Beautytech boards, and as a matter of fact it was printed in my Grandmother's newspaper in a DR.'s column. Anyway, they swear by using Vicks!!! Just rub it on the nails that are infected, and should see some results within a couple of months. A lot cheaper than the prescription, and doesn't cost much to try, and it isn't damaging to you in this way!!!! Try it out, it might just work!
Shelley
 
What a tasty subject!

Not sure about the vicks thing... The only caution there is that you could be seen to treat it. If you treat it... you can change your salon name to 'Sued in a court of law nails and beauty'

I would avoid the meds if it can be helped... but do try and do something about it...

Many derms will actually remove the plate. A fresh new healty one will grow back in and everything will be fine.
If left untreated, it could slowly get back to the matrix which could cause a more serious infection, or even permenant loss of the nail plate.

Hope this helps... I think ill go eat some cheese now.
 
Lucky for me in this case neither my husband or I work for a nail/beauty clinic so no one will see us 'treating' the fungus.

My mother just told me that my grandmother has gotten her toenails removed but they always grew back the same gross way. Hers were slightly different, though, where the nail was like 1/2 inch thick with weird white crusty layers, and it was only the big toes. My mother says she read somewhere that Tolnaftate - the same thing that cures Jock Itch and Athlete's foot - has cured ol' Grandma. I guess it took a few months and she still puts it on the nail and cuticle daily to ward of re-infection.

My husbands infection is on all fingers and about 9 toes. I tried to give him a little manicure yesterday but there is no nail to file, just slightly tough skin on the nail bed (until about 1/2 way down). Since they split (I guess) he bites them too. YEECCHHHH.

I'll try to take pictures - after all he DID let me practice painting a Quavers packet on his big toe :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top