Nailed it?
Nail fungus is a frustratingly common ailment — about 10% of people are expected to get it at some point in their lives — and it can be tough to address because medications have to penetrate the nail deep enough to reach the infection within the nail bed.
And because nails — especially toenails — grow slowly, treatment tends to be expensive and time-consuming.
Now, a Harvard-trained, board-certified dermatologist is sharing a cheap trick for tackling unsightly nail fungus at home.
“If you have cheesy, crumbly toenail fungus, use Listerine. The same brown Listerine you use as a mouthwash has antifungal properties and can help you with a stubborn fungus on your fingers or toes,” Dr. Neera Nathan said recently on TikTok.
“Brown” Listerine is known officially as Listerine Original Antiseptic Mouthwash, which contains the antifungal compounds menthol, eucalyptol and thymol.
The amber-colored oral rinse has been praised for everything from killing lice and treating bug bites to clearing dandruff.
For fungus, Nathan suggests coating a cotton ball with Listerine, applying it on top and underneath the affected nails and letting it dry.
You could also soak the nails in the solution for 15 to 20 minutes a few times a week. Fingernails should be treated for six months and toenails for one year.
“This is an affordable alternative to prescription topical antifungals, which are very expensive and don’t work very well,” Nathan said. “To get rid of severe fungus, see a dermatologist for prescription oral treatment.”
Prescription drugs such as Lamisil and Sporanox generally have higher success rates than antifungal creams and gels, but side effects can include diarrhea, stomach pain, mood changes and, rarely, liver damage.
Nathan also recommends soaking fungus-laden toenails in diluted apple cider vinegar, which has antibacterial and antifungal benefits, for 15 minutes two or three times a week.
Dr. Scott Walter, a board-certified dermatologist near Denver, likes a three-pronged approach.
He suggests dipping nails with fungus into a blend of equal parts Listerine, white vinegar and water twice a week for 15 minutes and using Vicks VapoRub daily.
Like Nathan, Walter is fond of the original Listerine. He says it’s less likely to stain your tub than the green and blue varieties.
