Some people, especially those who work around the house, are plagued by fungal infections around and under the nails. These infections can be hard to treat, and they may keep coming bac,k. Any disruption of the skin around the nail – e.g. a hangnail or skin that’s been broken by too much contact with solvents or detergents – can open the door to a whole family of yeast-like fungi. Use of tetracycline antibiotics such as Terramycin or Aureomycin can sometimes cause or aggravate one of these infections.
One method for dealing with these infections comes from the Soviet Union. Dr Eugene M. Farber of Stanford University, using an idea he says he borrowed from the Soviets, placed plasters of urea, a nitrogen-rich product of protein metabolism, on the toenails of 35 people suffering from painful or unsightly fungal infections. In seven to ten days, the urea loosened the nail from its bed, so that both the nail and the dressing could be removed together. Without the nail, the underlying infection could be treated more easily.
Dr Farber says the urea treatment is a cheap, safe and practically painless alternative to surgical removal of the nail. Its only drawback is that the dressings must be kept on the toes for a week or more (Cutis).