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What can be done to cover fungal toenails?
While nail fungus is caused by a contagious infection and is nothing to be embarrassed about, it’s understandable if you’d rather keep it covered up. However, the fungi responsible for the infection thrive in warm and damp places, so keeping fungal nails wrapped or covered can cause the infection to get worse.
Usually, the best course of action is to keep the nail uncovered, and to use antifungal treatment to clear up the infection. But if your fungal nail infection is affecting your mental health and confidence, how can you cover it in a healthy way?
Medically reviewed by
Craig Marsh, Clinical Reviewer
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Last updated on Oct 30, 2024.
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- Medical advice recommends you avoid covering fungal nail infections when possible.
- But, if you’re self conscious – breathable, well-fitting footwear with cotton socks is the best option.
- Avoid tight-fitting, leather, and high heeled shoes. These create the perfect environment for fungi to grow.
- Keep feet clean and dry, and use prescription medication to clear up fungal infections as quickly as possible.
- If you can’t use prescription treatments, there’s limited evidence that some home remedies could be effective.
Wear the right footwear
- Clean, cotton socks. These allow air to flow through the fabric, and can absorb moisture to help keep your feet dry. Make sure you change them every day.
- Well-fitting shoes. Go for well-fitting, comfortable footwear, and avoid high heels and shoes with narrow toes. These can create the perfect environment for fungi to spread.
- Breathable footwear. Shoes made from material that allow air to pass through (like mesh) are really important to keep your recovery on track. Avoid leather shoes that restrict air flow.
- Waterproofs. If your feet are likely to get wet, you should wear waterproof footwear to keep moisture away from your nail – as the fungi that cause the infection love damp environments.
- Socks and sandals. While some might consider this combo an eyesore, open-toe sandals let air circulate around your feet to help keep them dry. Cotton socks can cover your nail while still letting air circulate.
- Flip flops or shower sandals. If you’re using a shared shower, it’s best to wear a pair of clean shower shoes to avoid spreading the infection.
If you want to cover your nail fungus infection with footwear, it’s really important you wear the right kind. It’s best to prioritise comfort, fit, and breathability to keep your feet dry and cool, as this helps stop the fungi spreading more. You shouldn’t share footwear with other people either, as this can allow the infection to spread to other people.
It’s really important to keep your footwear clean, too. If the fungal infection spreads into your shoes, it can reinfect your nails and cause the condition to come back. Make sure you always wear clean socks, and clean your shoes after each time you wear them. Antibacterial sprays, ultraviolet shoe sanitisers, and antifungal powders are options for keeping the fungus out of your footwear.
Take care of your nails
It’s not just your footwear you need to keep clean – keeping your nails trimmed, clear, and free to breathe is essential for recovery. You should avoid wearing unmedicated nail polish or fake nails while you have a fungal infection, as these can trap moisture in your nail bed and make your infection worse. They can also stop topical treatments from reaching your nail bed.
Soaking your nails in warm water before you cut them can help soften them up, which can make them easier to trim if the infection has caused your nails to thicken. Add around two teaspoons of salt for each litre of warm water you use to help soften your nails more if needed. Trim your nails in a straight line across and don’t round the edges, as this can cause ingrown nails. Try and keep the edge of your nail shorter than the end of your toes, to stop more fungus getting into your nail bed. Make sure your nails are completely dry after soaking them to avoid the fungus spreading.
If possible, it can help to get regular pedicures from a professional – but you should always inform them you have a fungal infection first, so they can sterilise their equipment.
At-home remedies and prevention
There are some simple lifestyle changes you can adopt to help prevent fungal toenail infections spreading and recurring.
- Wash your feet every day. Wash your feet at least once per day using soap and water, taking extra care to clean between your toes. Make sure your feet are completely dry (using a clean towel) when you’re done.
- Avoid walking barefoot in public areas. If you’re in a public space where people walk barefoot (like a swimming pool or gym showers) you should wear clean shower shoes to avoid spreading or picking up fungal infections. Likewise, if other people you live with walk around barefoot at home, try and wear breathable footwear around the house.
- Keep your floors clean. Even if you’re careful to avoid walking barefoot at home, it’s possible that the fungus can spread to your floors and then to others in your household. Clean your floors and any surfaces that your feet touch with disinfectant regularly to kill off any lingering fungi.
While there are at-home remedies for fungal nail infections that have been used to some success, the scientific data on these are limited. Home remedies could take longer to work, or they might not work at all. If you want to clear up fungal nail infections as quickly and effectively as possible, speak to a clinician about prescription medicine. But if you can’t use prescription medicine, here are some at-home treatments that may help with fungal nail infections:
- VapoRub. There’s evidence that VapoRub containing camphor and eucalyptus oil (designed to relieve coughing) could help treat fungal nail infections. A small 18-person study over 48 weeks had participants apply a small amount of Vicks VapoRub to the affected nail once per day. At the end of the study, 15 of the 18 patients (83%) showed positive effects from the treatment, five (27.8%) had their infection clear up completely, 10 (55.6%) had their infection partially clear, and three (16.7%) had no change in their condition. This seems to suggest that vapor rubs could help treat fungal nails – but larger scale studies are needed.
- Snakeroot extract. A six-month study from 2008 found that a lacquer solution containing an extract from the snakeroot plant (Ageratina pichinchensis) was comparable in effectiveness to the antifungal medication ciclopirox. 49 participants were given the snakeroot extract formulation, and 47 were given ciclopirox as a control. After the six months, 71.1% of patients in the snakeroot group showed improvements in their condition, compared to 80.9% in the control group.
- Tea tree oil. Essential oils like tea tree have been studied for their antifungal activity, and current research suggests that they remain good candidates for people who can’t use prescription medicines. Data collected by a study exploring the available evidence on essential oils and fungal infections revealed that tea tree oil does have antifungal activity against the fungus responsible for fungal nail. However, more clinical trials are still needed to understand the properties of essential oils like tea tree, and how effective they are at treating fungal infections.
Find the right treatment for you
Ultimately, covering up a fungal nail infection won’t help clear it up – and it can even make your infection worse. Medical advice recommends that you keep fungal nails uncovered, allowing air to circulate around them and keeping them dry and cool. This helps prevent creating an environment where the fungi responsible thrive.
If your fungal nail infection is making you self-conscious and affecting your mental health, speak to a clinician about your options. They can help you find the right treatment to clear up your fungal nail, and offer advice on ways to cover your infection that minimise the risk of worsening it.
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Leung, A.K.C. et al. (2020).
Onychomycosis: An Updated Review. Inflammation & Allergy - Drug Targets. 14(1). pp. 32-45.
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Derby, R. et al. (2011).
Novel Treatment of Onychomycosis using Over-the-Counter Mentholated Ointment: A Clinical Case Series. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 24(1). pp. 69-74.
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Double-blind clinical trial for evaluating the effectiveness and tolerability of Ageratina pichinchensis extract on patients with mild to moderate onychomycosis. A comparative study with ciclopirox. Planta Medica. 74(12). pp. 1430-1435.
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Rodríguez, J.V. et al. (2022).
Meta‐analysis of the antifungal activities of three essential oils as alternative therapies in dermatophytosis infections. Journal of Applied Microbiology. 133(2). pp. 241-253.
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