Best Toenail Fungus Treatments for Lasting Results

Key Takeaways

Onychomycosis or fungal nail infection is a very common nail condition, affecting up to 20% of adults over their lifetime.
Over-the-counter products usually fail to penetrate through to the fungal infection in the deep parts of the nail bed and, as such, have less than optimal outcomes.
STRIDE DUO™, our prescription formula for fungal-infected fingernails and toenails, is comprised of an oral antifungal as well as a topical phenetharidine-based treatment. In clinical studies utilizing STRIDE DUO™ for treatment of deep penetrating toenail fungal infections, 89% of patients experienced successful outcomes.

Introduction

Most over-the-counter toenail fungus treatments don't eliminate the infection. While they may improve the appearance of the nail or temporarily reduce symptoms, they often fail to penetrate deep enough to reach the fungus living beneath the nail.

Toenail fungus (onychomycosis) affects up to 20% of adults and can become increasingly difficult to treat as it progresses. The good news is that effective toenail fungus treatments are available—you just haven’t found it yet.

What Causes Toenail Fungus?

The infections that cause toenail fungus are usually present in the nail unit for a long period of time. The fungi usually enter under the nail through a crack or a cut in the nail plate. After the fungi have entered under the nail, they start to multiply and cause disease of the nail. Because fungi thrive in warm, moist environments, the feet are one of the areas of the body that is most prone to fungal growth.

Common risk factors include:

· Going barefoot in public showers, poolside, or in gym locker rooms.

· Wearing tight, non-breathable footwear

· Excessive sweating

· Poor foot hygiene

· Diabetes or weakened immune system

· Aging, which slows nail growth and reduces circulation

· Nail injuries

What Actually Kills Toenail Fungus for Good?

Surface-level fungus found in the plate can be treated with products placed on the surface of the affected nail, but deeper fungus found in the nail bed rarely cures with over the counter products. Effective toenail fungus treatments work from the inside out with a systemic oral medication in conjunction with a topical solution that penetrates the nail itself.

Our product, STRIDE DUO™, contains the two of the most effective fungus-killing medications on the market, FDA-approved oral terbinafine or fluconazole, and our STRIDE™, Clearnail Renewal solution, a custom compounded topical solution to softly soften the nail so that the oral antifungal solution can penetrate the nail to attack the fungus in the nail bed, while helping the nail look better.

Which Treatment Actually Works Better Than OTC Options?

While over-the-counter products may help improve the appearance of the nail or treat very mild surface infections, they rarely eliminate established toenail fungus. That's because the infection usually lives underneath and inside the nail plate, where most OTC treatments cannot penetrate effectively. Prescription treatments are generally more successful because they target the fungus at its source.

· Topical prescription antifungals penetrate the nail better than most OTC products but still require months of consistent use and work best for mild to moderate infections.

· Oral antifungal medications, such as terbinafine, travel through the bloodstream and reach the nail from the inside out, allowing them to treat the infection beneath the nail plate where topical products often cannot.

· Combination therapy—using both an oral and a topical antifungal—is widely considered the most effective approach for many patients with moderate to severe toenail fungus. The oral medication attacks the infection from within while the topical medication helps reduce fungal growth on and around the nail.

· STRIDE DUO™ combines prescription oral pulse therapy with our compounded STRIDE ClearNail Renewal™ topical solution, providing a comprehensive treatment approach developed with dermatologist Dr. Neil Sadick.

· In clinical practice, combination therapy consistently produces higher cure rates than topical treatment alone, particularly in patients with thicker, more advanced infections.

What Do Dermatologists Recommend?

For patients with mild, early-stage toenail fungus, a prescription topical medication may be sufficient. However, when the infection has spread through the nail, caused significant thickening, or involved multiple nails, dermatologists often recommend oral antifungal therapy, either alone or in combination with a topical treatment.

The right treatment depends on several factors, including:

· The severity of the infection

· How much of the nail is involved

· Nail thickness

· The number of affected nails

· Your overall health and medical history

Because toenails grow slowly, treatment requires patience. Many patients begin noticing healthier nail growth within 8–12 weeks, but complete clearance typically takes 9–12 months as the damaged nail gradually grows out and is replaced by healthy new nail.

If you're looking for the most effective toenail fungus treatment to meet your specific needs, STRIDE offers prescription treatments ranging from oral-only therapy, topical only and STRIDE DUO™ combination therapy which has the highest cure rate.

FAQ

1. What kills toenail fungus permanently?

Systemic oral antifungals in combination with topical antifungals penetrate through the nail to the site of the fungal infection in the nail bed. The combination of both oral and topical treatments has been proven to be better than single treatments to clear up fungal infections of the toenail.

2. Which is the most effective toenail fungus treatment?

In comparing treatments for toenail fungus, prescription dual therapy like that found in STRIDE DUO™, is far more effective than over-the-counter fungal creams because it goes beyond simple treatment of the fungal infection. It actually cures the entire fungal infection.

3. What is the most powerful foot fungus treatment?

The strongest treatment for fungal infections of the toes is oral antifungals in combination with a penetrating topical treatment.

4. What do dermatologists recommend for toenail fungus?

Dermatologists generally prescribe the strongest antifungal medication for the treatment of fungal toenail infections. Many patients are prescribed a combination of oral and topical treatments for the treatment of moderate to severe cases of fungal toenail infections.

5. Has anyone successfully gotten rid of toenail fungus?

Yes, some people have. Quite a few patients notice a fresh, almost clear nail appearing within a few months when they stick with consistent prescription dual therapy, but the whole outcome takes longer, because the damaged nail has to grow out.

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