The FDA recently approved a topical lacquer called Penlac that brushes on the surface of the nail. Doctors caution, however, that the topical medication has limited effectiveness. Only a small number of patients who used the lacquer in clinical studies got rid of their nail infections. Patients will mistake the fungus at first as just a discoloration and allow it to progress. It usually takes a couple of years before it becomes a full blown case.
Some women try to hide the problem with nail polish.
But doctors say that increases the moisture under the nail and actually worsens the condition. They say a change in color may indicate the beginning of a serious infection that could take months to control. They enter the membranes of skin cells before the nail is even growing. The skin cell has basically been infiltrated with the medication, and therefore the fungus can't invade the new cells. Patients take oral medications for about 3 or 4 months, and the drugs remain in the body for a long time after.