Vicks Vaporub May Speed Healing of Nail Fungus

Does Vicks Help Toenail or Finger Nail Fungus?

When people reminisce about being sick with colds and flu during their childhood, their thoughts is immediately filled with memories of stuffy noses, grandmother’s delicious chicken soup, staying home from school, mom’s undivided attention, and a peculiar squat blue jar that contained a sticky blue substance which smelled of menthol.

The contents of the blue jar, known worldwide as Vicks Vapor Rub has grown into an American icon of sorts for relieving symptoms of colds and congestion. Many also claim, including the Vicks Company, that this menthol ointment relieves symptoms of such things as muscle pains and fever. With all these healing claims adding to the power of Vicks, there is a newly discovered addition. Vicks may help relieve and cure onychomycosis.

Onychomycosis is among the most troublesome of nail conditions. It is commonly referred to as toenail fungus. It is one of the most difficult conditions to treat since the fungi are sheltered underneath the nail plate making them difficult to reach. Toenail fungus can be characterized by a thickening and discoloration of the nails. This also causes the separation of the nail plate from the nail bed and eventually, if left untreated, the loss of the toe nail.

Normal treatments of toenail fungus are available in oral form or as topical treatments. Homemade remedies, such as soaking the nails in acidophilus beer; bleach solution, or vinegar has been proven effective for some cases. Other remedies which have been claimed to be effective include topical application of olive leaf extract, tea tree oil and even Vicks VapoRub. That’s right; Vicks may help heal toenail fungus.

It is still not determined how Vicks can treat the toenail fungus since its active ingredients namely; camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol are recognized as effective only for the suppression of cough and/or decongestion. However, a lot of people believe that the essential oils which serve as the inactive ingredients along with the active ingredients of Vicks have a synergistic effect lending to the treatment of toenail fungus.

The best practice according to the claims of treating toenail fungus with Vicks is to apply the product generously on the infected nail once daily and leaving the infected nail covered for a few hours. The most practical and convenient way of doing this is to rub Vicks into the infected nail then covering the infected nail with a sock or glove before going to sleep at night. Treatment with Vicks would cause the infected nail to become dark at first. This accordingly is the sign that the treatment is working since the darkening of the nail indicates that the fungus is being killed. Once the dark nail has grown out, the toenail will eventually become clear. Treatment using Vicks usually last for several weeks. The way Vicks VapoRub is considered to work is based in the oily compound which is capable of absorbing into the nail bed and eventually reaching the fungi to kill them off.
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