Up to 10 percent of people across all ages and as many as 50 percent of people 70 or older have this toenail fungus, according to an article published in the December 2013 “American Family Physician.” Also called onychomycosis, fungus infects the nail bed and causes the nail to thicken and discolor. The thickening may push the nail away from the toe, sometimes causing loss of the nail. Since onychomycosis is difficult to cure and recurrence is common, treatment alternatives including Vicks VapoRub have become popular.

  1. Take a small amount of Vicks from the jar with a Q-tip. Always use a clean Q-tip when removing Vicks from the jar to avoid contaminating the Vicks in the jar.
  2. Place a THIN coat of Vicks on top of the nails.
  3. Make sure only the nails are covered with the Vicks. Try to avoid getting the Vicks on the skin or in between the toes as it might irritate the skin.
  4. Apply the Vicks once a day either in the morning or the evening. We recommend wearing socks after you have applied the Vicks.

If applying Vicks in the morning, wash it off before going to bed. If applying Vicks in the evening, wash it off in the morning. Clean thoroughly between toes and dry well.

* Be sure to use separate jar of Vicks for your toes. Label each jar well!

** Remove nail polish as the Vicks won’t be effective through polish.