How Do I Get Rid of Toenail Fungus? (2024)

Q: It looks like I have fungus beneath my toenail, but how can I be sure? Does toenail fungus go away on its own?

Yellowing, brittle and unusual-looking toenails can be a sign that a fungal nail infection, called onychomycosis, has taken root. Experts say these infections don’t go away on their own and can easily spread from person to person without treatment.

“Fungus tends to be greedy,” said Dr. Boni Elewski, chair of the department of dermatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. If you pick it up from close contact with someone who is infected or by walking barefoot in a locker room, for instance, it can then crawl under your toenail and spread into the nail itself, she said. Wearing moist, sweaty shoes can encourage the fungus to grow.

Toenail fungus affects an estimated one in 10 people worldwide, and becomes more common with age — afflicting more than half of those ages 70 and up. People with diabetes or weakened immune systems are also susceptible, said Dr. Shari Lipner, a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

Is it really fungus?

Experts say the first step to getting your normal toenail back is confirming you have fungus in the first place. Some telltale signs include thickened, discolored, cracked, misshapen and occasionally painful or smelly nails.

But fungus is to blame for only about half of abnormal-looking toenails, Dr. Elewski said. Toenail trauma, whether from one-time injuries or repetitive activity in too-tight shoes, can also cause discolored or thick toenails. “Eyeballs alone are not enough to be sure it’s onychomycosis,” she said.