Dermatophytic Onychomycosis is a bit of mouthful, so most people simply call it nail fungus. Nail fungus is the most common nail disease and accounts for about half of all nail ailments. It usually shows up as a white or yellowish spot near the tip of the nail. Left untreated it will spread. Nail fungus can infect hand nails, but it's far more common on toenails. Nail fungus can easily be brought under control using home remedies.

In recent times, a lot of people have been using Vicks Vapour Rub for curing nail fungus. Vicks themselves do not recommend this. They state that they have done no testing for using it in such a manner. One of the active ingredients in Vicks Fub is eucalyptus oil, and this is probably the reason why some people find it to be effective against fungus. But Vicks Rub contains many other non natural substances used to make the cream evaporate for inhalation. For a more natural solution, it would make more sense to soak infected nails in a specific anti-fungal home remedy.

Oil of Oregon and lemon-grass essesntial oils may both be applied to affected nails, but they may not be the best solutions at working their way under the nail to attack the infection directly. Nail fungus can cause thick nails making it hard for treatment to soak in.

A popular and proven home therapy solution for nail fungus is tea tree oil. The oil is extracted from the leaves of the Australian Melaleuca Alternifolia tree, and has been found to be very effective against toenail fungus infections. The oil is applied topically to a nail filed thin. Some people then use a plaster to cover the area and keep it moist. It may be applied diluted by mixing it 50-50 with olive oil. The oil should be added on a regular basis, such as morning and evening. It may take time for the healthy nail to grow before the effects can be noticed. Be patient.

Nail fungus may also be treated with everyday household items such as vinegar or bleach. Apple cider vinegar is often used for fighting nail fungus, but any type of vinegar would be effective. The nails are simply soaked for around 15 minutes in a solution of 1 part vinegar to two parts water. A variation is to replace the pure vinegar with a 50-50 mix of vinegar with a hydrogen peroxide solution, and then dilute with water as before.

Ordinary household bleach can be used to treat nail fungus, but it is more time consuming and requires more care than other techniques. The bleach should be heavily diluted. Add 1 tbsp of bleach to a gallon of warm water. It will give off smelly and possibly irritating fumes, so do this in a well ventilated area. The nails should be soaked in the solution for about half an hour, try to immerse just the nails in the solution to avoid possible irritation to other areas of skin. Following treatment, the soaked area must be washed with warm soapy water and dried thoroughly.

Although home remedies can be effective against nail fungus, if they do not appear to be working for you, consult your doctor. If the infection runs out of control it may cause more serious problems and your doctor may decide to prescribe stronger medicines. More recently, specialized laser treatment has been used to painlessly kill the yeast under the nails.