Mens Health Week - Nail care

​Fungus

​What’s a topic you don’t hear men speak about too often? Their foot health perhaps??!
Something that can be quite prevalent amongst men but not regularly spoken about is skin and nail fungus.
The idea of scrubbing our feet in the shower or applying cream almost sounds outlandish right? As a Podiatrist and a foot nerd, I wanted to highlight this condition and provide some simple tips to prevent this from occurring.

Condition 1: Athlete’s Foot
​Athlete’s foot is a skin infection of the foot due to a thing called “dermatophyte fungus” which typically presents itself in the soles of the feet and in between the toes. Athlete’s foot will usually present itself with dry, itchy & scaling skin. In more severe cases, it can also cause inflammation, cracks & blisters also. Infection is usually acquired by direct contact with fungus, for example, walking barefoot in a public change room. Other risk factors include: occlusive footwear (work boots, steel caps), excessive sweating, immunosuppressant medications, showers & sporting locker rooms.

Simple prevention & treatment
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• Keeping feet and toes dry after showering and throughout the day
• Applying an Athlete’s foot anti-fungal cream such as Canesten
• Avoid wearing the same socks 2 days in row
• Changing old and worn-out sweaty shoes & purchasing new footwear
• Thoroughly dry shoes and boots
• Washing socks after wearing them
• Spraying the innersole of shoes with methylated spirits and leave out in the sun to dry weekly
• Avoid walking barefoot in sporting/gym locker rooms
• Monitoring your feet regularly 

Condition 2:  Nail Fungus (onychomycosis)
Nail fungus is a fungal infection of the nail bed, matrix (the area where your fingernails and toenails start to grow) or nail plate. Nail fungus causes discolouration, thickening and separation from the nail bed. The cause is similar to Athlete’s foot but with the fungal infection affecting the nail rather than the skin. Nail fungus is often harder to treat than Athlete’s foot and can persist for months sometimes even years, so prevention is key.  

Prevention is the same as Athlete’s foot however there a few key differences in treatment. Keep in mind, nail fungus is more stubborn and likely to hang around longer so if a particular nail treatment is unsuccessful after a few months then you should switch to another one.
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It could take up to 18 months to fully resolve so be persistent and consistent! 

Simple prevention & treatment

• Keeping feet and toes dry after showering and throughout the day
• Avoid wearing the same socks 2 days in row
• Changing old and worn-out sweaty shoes & purchasing new footwear
• Thoroughly dry shoes and boots
• Washing socks after wearing them
• Spraying the innersole of shoes with methylated spirits and leave out in the sun to dry weekly
• Avoid walking barefoot in sporting/gym locker rooms
• Monitoring your feet regularly
• Applying an anti-fungal nail lacquer such as Rejuvenail or Loceryl for a few months and monitor
• If your nail is thickened, have it thinned down by a Podiatrist to allow the nail anti-fungal to penetrate the nail plate easier

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