Tea tree oil for nail fungus

Does the panacea also help against the mycosis of the nails?

Tea tree oil against nail fungus? Why shouldn’t this all-effective natural product help against fungi? Its disinfecting and germicidal (antiseptic) effect has long been known. Many people who suffer from unsightly nail fungus like to use home remedies and herbal medicine. But does the oil from the Australian tea tree bring the desired healing success?

+Pro: There is almost nothing against which Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil should not help: warts, pimples, herpes, and various infections. Whether on the skin or mucous membrane: it unfolds its antibacterial effect everywhere. The essential oil of the Australian tea tree owes this to different terpenes (or terpene alcohols), which are pharmacologically active. The growth-inhibiting product mainly relates to the defense and prevention against insects and parasites.

-Cons: No study has not proved a curative anti-fungal effect of melaleuca oil. In the meantime, the tea tree hype in American has subsided somewhat, and there is room for critical evaluations. For example, dermatologists and experts from the BfR (Association for Risk Assessment) warn of tea tree oil's skin-irritating and allergenic components. The harmful substances arise primarily during the oxidation process, typical for a purely natural product such as tea tree oil.

Tea tree oil against nail fungus – practical thanks to health-promoting terpenes?

It is the so-called terpenes and especially the terpineols that make tea tree oil pharmacological. They have an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect. Terpineols are also found in abundance in the essential oils of many other plants, such as laurel, rosemary, sage, eucalyptus, and turmeric, to name just a few.

The germicidal ingredients of tea tree oil are not sufficient to combat acute nail mycosis, which sometimes even resists medication with tablets. A nail fungus should be fought with a nail polish or, in an advanced stage, with pills.

Tea tree oil against nail fungus – this is how you apply the oil.

If you still want to try tea tree oil:

Soak a small gauze bandage with the diluted tea tree oil (25% -50%) and wrap it around the infected nail. Rub your nail with the light oil several times a day.

For prevention:

stimulate the metabolism of your feet and regularly take a hot foot bath with tea tree oil. Rub your feet and nails with diluted tea tree oil (25% -50%) or equivalent cosmetics before and after going to the sauna, swimming pool, or gym.

Tea tree oil against nail fungus – which side effects are known?

Tea tree oil is not approved as a medicinal product and is not checked for possible side effects and risks. However, from a dermatological point of view, caution should be exercised against the essential oil: undiluted or highly concentrated, it has an allergenic effect and can trigger contact eczema. The risk of allergies is exceptionally high if the product has not been stored away from light or is too old. The terpenes degenerate through contact with oxygen radicals.

Tips from the dermatologist’s practice:

Make sure that the concentration of tea tree oil in cosmetics does not exceed one percent. Protect your tea tree oil product from light and heat. If you dilute your tea tree oil concentrate, the risk of skin irritation and allergic reactions is reduced.

Tea tree oil is not suitable for consumption! It is classified as harmful to health by the IFRA (International Fragrance Association).

Note:

There is no scientific evidence for the success of nail fungus treatment with vinegar. Since vinegar cannot penetrate deep into the nail, it is unlikely to be effective against nail fungus. If you still want to experiment with vinegar, you should start treatment with a nail polish to accompany the experiment. Water-soluble nail polishes such as Proclearz against nail fungus penetrate deep into the nail but do not seal it permanently. The nail polish is applied in the evening and washed off with water the following day. The active ingredient remains in the nail.