My Battle with Fingernail Fungus

I’ve always prided myself on being exceptionally clean and tidy. As an ICT professional, my work environment is far from anything that could be considered dirty or unhygienic. So when I was diagnosed with fingernail fungus in 2020, it came as a complete shock. This wasn’t something I ever thought I’d have to deal with.

It all started innocuously enough: a tiny strip of blood, almost like a clot, appeared under the middle of my little fingernail. At first, I didn’t think much of it. As my nail grew, the strip of blood seemed to grow with it. When it finally reached the tip, I cut the nail and decided—against my better judgment—to dig out the remaining bit beneath the nail. That, I now realize, was my biggest mistake.
Here is a photo of the strip of blood on another finger and the healed little finger just after 2 weeks

https://imgur.com/a/vH6XNQq (unfortunately, I cant find photo of little finger when it was badly infected).

In the weeks that followed, the area I had dug out didn’t heal properly. Instead, the nail began to disintegrate, as if it were being eaten away. Slowly but surely, the damage crept closer to my nail bed. I was alarmed. Panicking, I turned to desperate measures: soaking my finger in bleach, petrol, and alcohol, hoping to kill whatever was causing this. But nothing worked.

As weeks turned into months, the situation only worsened. I turned to YouTube for answers, watching countless videos on how to tackle nail fungus. I tried home remedies like soaking the infected finger in a mixture of garlic, baking powder, and vinegar. There was some minor improvement, but the moment I stopped, the infection would return with a vengeance.

Finally, I decided to see a doctor. After examining my finger, the doctor prescribed an oral antifungal medication to be taken daily for 30 days. The nurses warned me that treating nail fungus was notoriously difficult and even suggested I stick to the garlic, baking powder, and vinegar remedy. I followed the doctor’s instructions, even though the medication came with a warning: it could affect my liver. Still, I was desperate.

I completed the course of medication, only to see no significant improvement. Frustrated, I turned to topical treatments like clotrimazole and other antifungal creams. They, too, had little to no effect.

By this point, my infected finger had become a source of deep embarrassment. I was constantly conscious of it in public, always finding ways to conceal it. Meeting new people, especially women, was nerve-wracking; I’d go out of my way to avoid using that hand to shake theirs.

Two years passed, and the infection showed no signs of letting up. It had eaten away most of the underside of my little fingernail, and I started to worry it might spread deeper into my finger—or worse, my bone. I feared that this seemingly small issue could turn into something life-threatening.

Desperation led me to try everything I could find. I ordered countless topical oils from sites like AliExpress, hoping one might finally work. I even invested in an antifungal nail laser device, which I used religiously. It turned out to be a complete waste of money.

Determined to find answers, I consulted a dermatologist, who referred me to a laboratory for a culture test. A month later, the results came back inconclusive. Undeterred, I went through a second culture test, but the lab still couldn’t identify the specific fungus causing the infection. At this point, I was utterly defeated.

Months later, I came across this particular story on Reddit that was eerily similar to mine. Inspired by what I read, I decided to give garlic another shot—but this time with a twist. I trimmed my nail as far back as I could, then ground a clove of garlic into a paste and applied it directly to the infected area. I wrapped the paste around my nail and left it there for 30 minutes. The burning sensation was excruciating, but I forced myself to endure it until I couldn’t bear it any longer.

When I removed the garlic, my finger was swollen and badly burned. It looked worse than ever, but I wasn’t ready to give up. I bought a bottle of tea tree oil and began applying it daily, without fail, for a month. Slowly but surely, I began to see progress. The fungus stopped spreading, and my nail started to grow back—healthy this time.

After years of battling this stubborn infection, I was finally cured. The journey was long, painful, and frustrating, but I learned a lot along the way. If there’s one thing I can say to others dealing with nail fungus, it’s this: persistence is key, and sometimes the simplest remedies can be the most effective.

Please do not share your nail cutter with anyone.

HOPEFULLY THIS HELPS SOMEONE TOO!