Hi Wils, do you use or like Tineacide cream? Right now that is what I am leaning toward to use on a daily basis once all signs of fungus are gone on my toenails. I think it's such a great product. It's undecylenic acid in an emollient base that includes tea tree oil, lavender oil, clotrimazole and urea. If I don't use that I will likely go with Flexitol antifungal liquid since it's somewhat similar to Tineacide cream containing undecylenic acid, tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, urea, aloe vera and vitamin E . I currently use them both in addition to the FT & I really like them both. I previously thought about trying some essential oils only when fungus all gone but some of them are so drying, especially tea tree oil alone. I'll have to learn more to know for sure if I can find something that will not dry toes out. Maybe someone here knows? I will use some kind of cream regularly on my feet as well always now too, not sure yet which one, may alternate even? Any thoughts?

Recently my 7 yr old granddaughter came down with suspicious skin on the soles of her feet, which made me feel really sad to see. She has been living with me til only recently so she's likely been exposed. It's hard to say because she's had eczema before, but I fear it's fungus. I gave Tineacide to her without hesitation. I think it's the best all-round product I've found out there honestly since it can be used on nails & feet both. I feel pretty confident about her using it. I wanted to make it easy for her to have one product to use for everything. If it turns out it's eczema, I know it can help that even since it's moisturizing & it certainly will not hurt her. I didn't realize til this week that some anti-fungals are recommended to not be given to children under age 10-12.

Wils-That would be great. I am still using the FT twice a day. I think once a day would be enough (the podiatrist actually advised using only once a day) but I am still nervous about cutting back on the treatments. I remember how reluctant I was earlier to go from twice daily epsom salt soaks to once daily. I'm now down to about three times a week. As to the concept of treating the whole foot, I think that is a great idea. I think the epsom salt soaks have had a softening effect since the beginning and I'm not having any foot problems. I like the idea of the flexitol cream sloughing off dead skin daily.

If the one large toenail would only grow a little quicker, I would look almost normal--my toes are still crooked. FT doesn't fix that!

Nic--What about your toenail that was growing goofy? Has that straightened out?

Luv--You were a grandma at the age of 40? I guess I'm going to be an old grandma...

Spunky, how did you know that I was a grandma at 40? haha It's true. I was 21 when my daughter was born, then she had her daughter at 19. I was having hard wanting to accept going into 40's but then when she told me 2 months before my birthday she was expecting, it seemed to make it all acceptable somehow... okay I'm gonna be 40 & a grandma so I can do this. Haha! Dunno how I'm gonna face the 50's though. Maybe my other daughter will have one that year?

Nic, just wondering, do you ever have that whitebuildup from the FT?

I have used Flexitol Heel Balm twice, each time about a week, but it always makes my soles sore on the sides of the foot. I gave it up each time it did that. Any advice?

Daily Routine - FT/Tineacide, Flexitol antifungal liquid, white vinegar, Lamisil foot cream, Tineacide Shoe Spray
Nail infection 1 yr, treated 4 months

You had said that you were 47. And you said that you had a 7 year old granddaughter. I may be a blond, but I am pretty smart.

LOL :D

I didn't remember saying how old I was. You're good at math too ;)

No, at the time I did not realize it was athlete's foot. One sister had it too. We lived in Florida and went barefoot a lot and I guess we just thought we had scaly feet from that maybe?? We did have a neighbor girl who was 11 or 12 years old and had toenail fungus, but never made a connection. We just felt sorry for her. Boy, I had no idea what was coming!!

I switch up with the clearly confident, tineacide and cheap wal-mart brand antifungal creams, so I am not sure what the clearly would do on it's own! Like you, I am ever so grateful for having discovered FT! I am using the spray that came with my Pedizan in my shoes too.

Do you remember a fad in the 60s where people (women, too!) would go barefoot all the time and build up a thickness to their soles? I know of someone who did that, they would get their feet "toughened". I was never allowed to go barefoot, yet I still did not escape the dreaded fungus. Even to this day, she's 66 years old, she's proud of having that thickened sole. She did confide that she has toenail fungus, but her nails are constantly polished. Does anyone else remember this?

Spunky-I am from the south where during the summer all of my friends went barefoot all summer. My parents didn't allow us to do so. When we would go to the lake, they would laugh at me for being a "tenderfoot" where the bottoms of their feet were so tough they could walk on gravel and not even flinch. We're about the same age, so maybe it was a generational thing. I did take swimming lessons at the indoor pool at the local university for several summers. I guess when you mix that with the lake and various other swimming pools and being made to keep my feet covered, I was growing a fungus breeding ground!

You asked about my funky nail. I have to keep it short so it won't grow into the nail bed and hurt. I think that working at it with an orange stick after showering has helped a little. It's going to take a lot of time to retrain the growth, if ever. When we vacation later this year, I will probably put a fake on that one.

Nic--Do you still have a thickened sole? My ped egg is due to arrive shortly! Have you used one? I'm excited to use it.

As far as my fungal roots... My mother had toenail fungus. Boy, it wasn't pretty! Her toenail had this huge yellow overgrowth on it. Like an eruption. It's amazing that she could even wear shoes. My mother was physically handicapped, so she did not bathe on a daily basis. It was just too difficult for her to do that. And she wore the same shoes every day, as her leg brace was attached to those shoes. So maybe her poor hygiene is the cause of her toenail fungus and I contracted it from her, maybe using the same towels. (?) But, I'll tell you, the house was immaculate! I don't know how she ever did it. She had 4 kids and no housekeeper. RIP.

I have a ? if anyone can help me. The nail that's growing out is concerning me a tad where the skin it has to grow "over" looks a little high to me - Do you think I should ped egg it down or file it down or even trim with clippers, I don't want to risk the nail growing "into" it.

I'd leave it alone.

Thanks Spunky!!

Spunky-no I don't have a thickened sole. Before I started these treatments almost a year ago, I did have some dry and thick places on the edges of the bottom of my feet. The soaking has cleared all of that up. I do have a callus on my left foot on the side of my big toe, but that is from a pair of sport shoes that I wore a lot on the treadmill, I think. Im using the flexitol and a sander type thing from Bath & Body. Do you think the ped egg would be useful?

Hey Pink-my nails and toe ends are the same. One is doing great. The other one, the one that is Funky is the one that Spunky was asking about. I think it is the nail where the fungus originated. Years ago, I knocked it off at the nasty lake. It has never grown back quite right and the Dr said the nail bed was damaged. If you haven't had any trauma to your nails, they should grow back fine. The one of mine that isn't, the nail grows in a downward arc and will push into the skin. You can feel if it is doing this. Hope this helps.

Thanks Nic. I didn't have any damage to this nail so maybe it will grow out over that skin, I don't feel anything but am wondering if I should get some new tennis shoes cause as I said prior those hurt that toe when I exercise, but I only wear those like 3-4 times a week for about an hour. I don't want to cause it to grow back wierd cause of that. Geez I have spent so much money on this vacation coming up I don't want to buy anything else but those shoes have been tight for a while now.

I think tight shoes are a problem, with respect to this fungus. It causes the feet to sweat more and also sets up a situation that could create injury. Since you're doing so well, I suggest a shoe that was a little roomier. I think your doubts are the biggest indication of what you should do.

Nic--Regarding the ped egg--Luv said she scraped off about 1/2 teaspoons of skin/callus. My guess is that it's where the critters live, so to get rid of it has to be helpful to our cause. I just got mine today. I can't wait to try it.