Top 5 Tips to Prevent Fungal Foot and Nail Infections

What IS the BEST WAY to Keep Feet Fungus Free?

When treating clients who have fungal foot or nail infections, one of the most common questions we’re asked is “How do we stop the infection from coming back?”

We know that fungus and feet tend to go together easily – it loves the dark, damp and warmth of our socks and shoes! A perfect breeding ground!

So what if we take away some of the things it loves?

Fungal nail infections are normally the result of athlete’s foot spreading from the skin to the nails. The signs that you have a skin infection are:

• Peeling skin
• Redness
• Itching
• Dry/Flaky skin that has not improved with moisturising cream

Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t just found between your toes but can infect the entire foot!

To help stop you getting a fungal skin or fungal nail infection or to stop it coming back after you’ve got rid of it, follow these 5 helpful tips:

1. Wash and dry your feet regularly – the drying part is particularly important (how many of us jump out of the shower and dry off but don’t dry between our toes!).
2. Wearing cotton socks rather than going without socks at all (or wearing nylon ones) stops your feet becoming so sweaty
3. Wash socks at a high temperature – while this won’t kill the fungal spores, it will kill off any live fungus.
4. Use a product like Lamisil athletes foot cream once a month for about a week – this kills off any fungus that may have got a foothold (pardon the pun)
5. Avoid footwear that make your feet particularly hot – this is especially important during the summer months

There are all sorts of places that you might come into contact with fungus and most people will have an athlete’s foot infection at some point in their lives. By following these 5 simple tips, you could reduce your chances of catching it.

If you are concerned and need professional advice, or treatment for fungal nails, get in touch and we can talk you through the treatment options.