Tea tree is an aromatic plant related to eucalyptus. An essential oil is obtained from its leaves, which is used as an expectorant and antiseptic. Tea tree oil is popular against fungus because it is highly effective and has few contraindications.
Chemical compounds contained in tea tree oil destroy pathogens
The chemical compounds contained in tea tree oil destroy bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The oil has a local effect and helps with skin diseases.
The main active ingredients in tea tree oil are terpinene and cineole . Their bactericidal properties have been scientifically proven and confirmed by clinical practice. These substances can even defeat bacteria that are resistant to certain types of antibiotics.
How can tea tree oil help?
Tea tree oil is a common remedy that will quickly return your nails to their beautiful appearance.
The effectiveness of using tea tree oil against fungus is due to the antiseptic properties of this product. The oil prevents the spread of pathogenic microflora to healthy skin and nails, allowing fungal infection to be limited to only one area. At the same time, the product creates an acidic environment on the surface of the nail, in which pathogenic microflora cannot multiply. This leads to the gradual death of the fungal colony.
Features of tea tree oil:
- prevents the spread of infection,
- improves the appearance of skin and nails,
- stimulates regeneration,
- increases local immunity.
The product can be used for fungal infections of the nails and skin of the feet. The oil is used externally only. To avoid burns, it is recommended to mix it with water or other anti-fungal agents.
To treat nail fungus with tea tree oil, lotions, compresses and baths are used. All methods are equally effective and can be used both as an independent remedy and in addition to drug therapy.
Diagnosis of the disease
You should not delay the disease, otherwise the fungus can progress to such an extent that treatment will be delayed in effectiveness, even despite the use of complex therapy according to the latest medical practice.
Seek help from qualified doctors; mycoses are treated by dermatologists.
With the help of examination and tests, the doctor will make an accurate diagnosis, determining the stage of development of the disease, and will also be able to prescribe the necessary adequate treatment, according to the diagnosis, its stage and taking into account all individual characteristics and possible diseases of the body.
Do not self-medicate and trust your doctor.
When seeing a doctor, treat yourself according to his recommendations; do not be afraid to consult about treatments that you have heard about from someone or read about them somewhere. This is especially true for traditional medicine and recommendations from friends.
Here is a medal question - on the one hand, it helped them, but on the other, it may not suit you or harm you, or maybe it helped them to cure a reason that you do not have.
The causes of your illness may be completely different from the causes of illness of those who can advise you on the “correct” treatment. It is better not to aggravate the problem and consult a doctor.
Rules for conducting procedures
It is necessary to pay attention to the choice of tea tree essential oil for nail fungus. In order for the therapy to be truly effective, it is necessary to purchase a high-quality natural remedy, but not synthetic oils. This oil is quite expensive, but is highly effective against fungal skin infections and does not cause side effects.
The best oils are those made in India or China. You can purchase them in specialized stores and pharmacy chains.
How best to treat nail fungus with tea tree oil depends on the symptoms. In case of mild damage to the nail plates, the oil can be used as an independent remedy in the form of compresses or baths. In advanced onychomycosis, it is used only as an adjuvant to complement drug therapy.
Read also: Fundizol for fungus: instructions for use, analogues and reviews
Before you start using the oil or preparing medicines based on it, you need to properly prepare for the procedure.
- Using tea tree oil for nail fungus begins with preparation. To begin with, your nails should be steamed. To do this, you need to prepare a foot bath, filling it with a fairly hot solution with antiseptic properties. You can also add oil to the bath.
- After the nails are steamed, they must be treated with a nail file and all irregularities must be thoroughly cleaned. To avoid self-infection, it is recommended to use disposable manicure instruments.
- After treating your nails, your feet should be rinsed again with water and dried thoroughly with a towel. Then you can begin treatment procedures.
This algorithm of actions must be repeated daily before going to bed. It is also recommended to apply any anti-fungal remedies before bedtime and not rinse off.
Pure oil treatment
Using pure oil is one of the traditional methods for eliminating nail fungus
The easiest way to use tea tree for fungus is to use pure oil. This product is very active and in its pure form can cause burns, so care must be taken. The oil can only be applied to the nails, but not to the periungual ridges or the skin of the feet. To do this, you need to take a cotton swab, moisten it generously with oil and carefully treat the nail plate with it. There is no need to rinse off the product.
Tea tree oil against nail fungus can be applied differently. In case of severe damage to the nail plates or fear of getting burned, the product can be mixed with any vegetable oil. For onychomycosis, it is recommended to use sea buckthorn oil - it is a potent antiseptic and increases the regenerative abilities of the epidermis. To do this, take 10 drops of sea buckthorn oil and 5 drops of tea tree oil, soak a cotton swab or brush in the product and apply to the nail.
Treatment with undiluted oil is carried out daily before bedtime. If you use a mixture with sea buckthorn oil, you should treat your nails twice a day, morning and evening.
Read also: Advanced fungus on nails and skin: why is it dangerous and how to treat it?
Preparatory activities
Melaleuca ester, the use of which involves several preparatory operations, will help to effectively cope with the disease. They will help enhance the effect of the product and quickly heal the damaged surface of the nail or skin.
Expert recommendations:
- Before starting treatment, it is important to properly prepare the diseased nail. For this, hot baths are prepared from water, potassium permanganate and table vinegar. Fingers affected by the fungus are placed in them and kept for several minutes. Then the softened layers are removed, and the nail itself is carefully trimmed. After all these steps, you can apply the main medicine.
- Melaleuca essential oil can be easily found in a pharmacy in any locality. A purchased elixir is usually available in a concentrated formulation. Therefore, before use, it must be diluted slightly with water or tested in its pure form. To check tolerance, apply a few drops to your hand or forearm and observe the reaction. If any redness appears, the product should not be used.
- If using the extract does not give the desired result, you should immediately consult a doctor. He will prescribe a comprehensive treatment that will help cope with the disease.
Fungus baths
Foot baths are the first remedy for onychomycosis. They can be prepared according to different recipes.
- Pour 15 drops of tea tree oil into a bowl of water. Place your feet in the mixture for 20 minutes, then wipe dry and apply oil to each nail.
- Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of iodine and 10 drops of tea tree oil in water. Keep your feet in the solution for 15 minutes.
- Brew calamus root by pouring two tablespoons of crushed root with a glass of boiling water. Pour the resulting infusion into a bowl of water, adding 10 drops of tea tree oil. Keep your feet in the water for 20 minutes.
Baths perfectly prepare nails for the application of potent products and help prevent the spread of pathogenic microflora to the skin of the feet. They must be done daily before bed for three weeks.
Recommendations during treatment: changing socks, hygiene, etc.
Fungal infection develops at high humidity. This is why it is so important to maintain foot hygiene during treatment and combat excessive sweating of the feet (hyperhidrosis). Local baths with astringent solutions, for example, a strong decoction of oak bark (2 tablespoons of crushed raw materials, pour ½ liter of hot water, simmer in a steam bath for 30 minutes, filter and immerse the limbs for 15 minutes), help reduce the activity of the sweat glands.
The growing nail plate needs to be cut off at least once a week. If particles are detached, a non-metallic coated file should be used to file away the affected fragments. Experts strongly advise treating sore nails with a separate tool.
After contact with affected areas, metal and plastic personal hygiene items are disinfected in any antiseptic, and the nail files are thrown away.
To prevent relapse and protect people living nearby from infection with the fungus, the patient’s bedding, underwear and towels should be boiled and ironed, socks and tights should be changed daily, shoes should be cleaned inside using powerful antiseptics, for example, by wiping with acetic acid. Dropping tea tree essential oil into your shoes helps.
Compresses and ointments with oil for fungus
Ointments should be applied only to pre-steamed and treated nails
Essential oils are a universal remedy that can be used both in pure form and in combination with other products. Based on tea tree oil, you can prepare mixtures for compresses and lotions against fungus.
- Mix 3 drops of tea tree oil and lavender, add a tablespoon of sea buckthorn oil. Soak a cotton pad in the product and apply to the affected nail for half an hour.
- Mix a tablespoon of butter with 5 drops of tea tree oil. Apply the ointment under the compress, leave for an hour, and then rinse with water.
- Mix honey, soda, sea salt in equal proportions, add a little water and 3 drops of tea tree oil. Apply the resulting product to the nail, securing with a bandage and cling film. Leave for two hours and then wash off the residue with water.
- Mix a small spoonful of thyme and olive oil, add 3 drops of tea tree oil. Apply the resulting product to each nail under a bandage and leave overnight.
Read also: Effective remedies for nail fungus
Overpowered products should be applied only to previously steamed and treated nails to ensure penetration of the active components deep into the nail plate.
Contraindications and side effects
Having figured out how to get rid of fungal diseases and how to treat fungus with tea tree oil, you should be careful, as the product is unsafe. Contraindications to the use of oil:
- pregnancy and lactation,
- individual intolerance,
- the presence of open wounds in the area treated with oil,
- childhood.
Improper use of the product can lead to destruction and detachment of the nail plates. Since children's nails are much thinner than adults', the product is not recommended for use in treating fungus in children under 6 years of age.
Symptoms of fungal diseases
Symptoms are accompanied by itching, burning, changes in the structure of the skin, nails, and mucous membrane.
The fungus grows and develops, trying to conquer more territories (organs and tissues) of the human body.
With each stage, the symptoms become more acute and more difficult to control and treat.
Symptoms bring a person a decrease in quality of life due to constant discomfort, stress, and pain.
The fungus can be treated for years, it can be done in periods, it is characterized by relapses (resumption of development) so that relapses do not occur - it is necessary to carry out prevention, after complex therapy, during treatment as well.
