Nail fungus

[h3llsb3lls]

Hi guys - am looking for some advice

My mum has got fungus on both big toenails and is very embarrassed about it. I have given her a pedicure and kept the polish (top and base coat) aside to use only on her. I have used only metal tools and cleaned and sterilised in barbicide afterwards. With regard to the files and buffers i used I have washed them in hot water and then soaked them in barbicide for 10 mins and then washed them again and left them to dry and i intend to only use them on her. I also wore gloves for the whole treatment.

With regard to the files and buffers is this acceptable to do this or should i throw them away (i was worried about keeping the fungal infection going). Also would i be able to use a foot spa with her (i have the mundo foot spa cleaner).

Thanks in advance x

 

[geeg]

Hi guys - am looking for some advice

My mum has got fungus on both big toenails and is very embarrassed about it. I have given her a pedicure and kept the polish (top and base coat) aside to use only on her. I have used only metal tools and cleaned and sterilised in barbicide afterwards. With regard to the files and buffers i used I have washed them in hot water and then soaked them in barbicide for 10 mins and then washed them again and left them to dry and i intend to only use them on her. I also wore gloves for the whole treatment.

With regard to the files and buffers is this acceptable to do this or should i throw them away (i was worried about keeping the fungal infection going). Also would i be able to use a foot spa with her (i have the mundo foot spa cleaner).

Thanks in advance x

I hope you mum is seeing a chiropodist and getting the medication she needs for the condition on her toes.

I bet she enjoyed the nice pedicure and you sound very responsible the way you have handled it (not to mention well educated on what to do.

Your Mundo foot spa cleaner is fungicidal, bacteriacidal and viruscidle (spl) so it will do the job you want it to in your foot bath and you needn't worry.

I think if it were I, I would throw away the file used. It is pretty impossible to sterilise a file that is not manufactured specifically to be sterilised.

 

[cro-mari]

Agree with Gigi, but will ad:

- the most dangerous thing (or better said - harder to sterilize) is foot bath, if it's one of those whirlpool ones that have little bubble making holes, so avoid those.

- Spray or get in some way that disinfectant of yours on the floor - I mean, area that your mum is putting her feet down on while you work. Fungus can survive in dry too.

- Towels, if used, have to be washed at highest temperature, because fungus will die only at 90 °C minimum.

- Don't use polish, because the polish keeps fungus 'in the dark' and it loves to hang out in moist, dark areas. No matter how someone wants to hide it behind polish.

- Don't spread lotions from her feet onto the other parts of the leg.

- Fungus is not something to be ashamed with, because it doesn't imply dirty feet :green: as someone would think. If it's been there for more than 6 months, it has to be treated with medications, and it' won't go away, you cannot 'cut or file it out', it can only spread on other nails or onto surrounding skin. It has to be treated. Look at her toes from underneath - if there's any skin that looks dry and cracked, but cannot be filed off, it rather falls of in pieces and leaves fresh, moist flesh... there's that fungus also, but in other shape. Same goes for other parts of the foot.

I've seen people having fungus for years and suffering, and after a cure of medications, their nails where growing out as clear as baby's

Sorry if I sound like a mean old teacher with thick glasses :green: only trying to help :hug:

 

[h3llsb3lls]

Thanks for your advice guys.....she has had this problem for a while and has tried the stuff you get from the doctors but it hasn't worked. She doesn't want to use the strong oral medication as she is in her sixties and worried about the damage it may do to her liver. I have heard coconut oil is supposed to work (apparently the fatty acids kill the fungus) or is this an old wives tail.

The only reason I have put polish on is she is going on holiday and didn't want her yellow toenails out for all to see.

Its such her shame...her feet other than this are in really good shape - she has no hard skin and nails are ok - she doesn't have any treatments (shes the sort of lady thats swears by just cold water on your face and no moisturiser) its only since I trained in beauty last year that I have managed to convince her to let me do treatments on her lol

Just another Qs - with regards to the polish/basecoat/topcoat - can the fungus still live in this - what I mean is should I use it on her again (if she has an occasion etc) or should I throw it away - I have no intention of using it on anyone else

Thanks

 

[geeg]

I would keep the polish for her to be on the safe side.

 

[h3llsb3lls]

Hi Geeg

Thanks for your reply - i definitely would not use the polish on anyone else - what i mean is should i throw the polish away (does the fungus survive in the polish) or can i still use it on my mum in the future while she still has the fungus, i don't want it to stop it from clearing up - hope this makes sense x

 

[geeg]

Hi Geeg

Thanks for your reply - i definitely would not use the polish on anyone else - what i mean is should i throw the polish away (does the fungus survive in the polish) or can i still use it on my mum in the future while she still has the fungus, i don't want it to stop it from clearing up - hope this makes sense x

In my experience nothing grows in polish .. the chemical make up is not conducive for an organism to thrive there. You can use it on your mum and not risk spreading the infestation.

 

[h3llsb3lls]

ok thats good to know - thank you so much for your helpl x