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Fungal Nail Infections can affect confidence, comfort, and day-to-day wellbeing. This page template gives you a strong starting point for explaining symptoms, causes, treatment options, and when patients should seek further advice.
Use this section to define fungal nail infections in plain language and set expectations for the rest of the page.
Fungal Nail Infections is a common condition that can vary in severity and in how much it affects daily life. A good opening section should help patients recognise the condition and understand that safe treatment options may be available.
This starter copy is intentionally generic. Replace it with clinically reviewed information about who is affected, how the condition typically presents, and why a consultation may be needed before treatment is prescribed.
Use short, scannable bullets to help patients recognise the condition.
The nail turns white, yellow, brown or occasionally green. This usually begins as a patch at the tip or along one edge before spreading towards the base.
The nail becomes thicker and can change shape, sometimes making shoes uncomfortable or the nail difficult to cut.
Infected nails become brittle, may crumble at the edge, and can lift away from the nail bed underneath.
This is a useful place to explain contributing factors, risk factors, or common triggers.
Wearing enclosed footwear for long periods, communal changing rooms and swimming pools, minor nail damage, and sharing clippers or towels all raise the risk. Athlete's foot often spreads to the toenails if left untreated.
Diabetes, poor circulation, psoriasis, a weakened immune system and increasing age all make infection more likely and harder to clear.
Use this section to introduce the treatment options shown below and explain how a clinician decides what may be suitable.
| Treatment | Best for | How it works | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amorolfine 5% nail lacquer | Mild to moderate infection affecting up to two nails | An antifungal lacquer painted onto the nail that stays active in the nail plate between applications | Applied once weekly. Around 6 months for fingernails, 9-12 months for toenails |
| Tioconazole 28% nail solution | Infection involving the nail and the surrounding skin | An antifungal solution applied to the nail and the skin around it | Applied twice daily, typically for 6-12 months |
Not sure which option is right for you?
Use this section for safety-netting. Highlight when patients should seek urgent or specialist care instead of self-managing.
Read more about recognising, treating and preventing fungal nail infections.
Use this intro to explain that the answers below cover the most common patient questions about symptoms, treatment, suitability, and delivery.
Most are caused by dermatophyte fungi, the same group responsible for athlete's foot. They thrive in warm, damp conditions, which is why toenails are affected far more often than fingernails. Communal changing rooms, swimming pools, enclosed footwear, minor nail damage and sharing clippers or towels all increase the risk.
Longer than most people expect. Topical treatment does not restore the infected part of the nail; it stops the fungus spreading while healthy nail grows out to replace it. That means roughly six months for a fingernail and nine to eighteen months for a toenail. Stopping early is one of the most common reasons treatment fails.
Often, but not always. If the infection has been present for a long time, or the nail has been damaged, some thickening or ridging can remain even after the fungus has cleared. Nails that were distorted before the infection are less likely to return to a completely normal appearance.
Topical lacquers are intended for mild to moderate infection affecting up to two nails, where the base of the nail is not involved. If more nails are affected, or the infection reaches the nail base near the cuticle, oral antifungal tablets are usually needed. Your GP can assess you for these, as they require blood test monitoring and are not available through this service.
It can spread, though not easily. The fungus can pass from one of your own nails to another, and can be picked up from shared surfaces such as changing room floors, or from shared towels, footwear and nail clippers. Keeping feet dry, wearing flip-flops in communal areas and not sharing clippers all reduce the risk.
No. Nail polish and false nails prevent the treatment reaching the nail plate and trap moisture, which encourages the fungus. Nails need to be left bare for the duration of treatment. Your prescriber will explain how to file and clean the nail surface before each application.
Use this final call-to-action to reassure patients, summarise the next step, and encourage them to complete a consultation if treatment may be appropriate.
