How to Get Rid of Toenail Fungus From Acrylic Nails?

A nail that turns color or gets crumbly after acrylics is unsettling, especially when you do not know why or how bad it will get. Toenail fungus acrylic nails usually start with trapped moisture that leads to fungal growth. The same moisture can cause first stage early stage fingernail fungus from acrylic nails, and the signs are easy to miss because they start small.

To get rid of nail fungus from acrylic nails, take the acrylic off completely so the nail can dry out, then treat it directly, whether the cause is fungus or, in the case of a green nail, a different kind of infection covered further down. Everything after that, home care or a prescription, builds on this one move.

What Causes Nail Fungus From Acrylic Nails?

Fungal infections are a common cause of nail problems, and acrylic nails raise the risk. The reason is simple: acrylic is glued onto the natural nail, and if it lifts or is applied poorly, water goes underneath the nail. Acrylic is also a hard, rigid material, and it can pull away from the nail bed over time even on its own, which opens the same kind of gap. That water under acrylic nails does not dry out on its own, and fungus grows well in damp, closed spaces like this. This is how toenail and fingernail fungus from acrylic nails usually start.

Most of these infections come from a group of fungi called dermatophytes, especially one named Trichophyton rubrum. Dirty salon tools are another risk, since a file or cuticle tool used on an infected client can pass the fungus along.

Note: You may have also read that sharing nail polish spreads fungus. A 2021 study checked this and found that salon nail polish was not a source of the fungi that cause nail infections (PubMed). The real risks are trapped moisture and dirty tools, not the polish.

Symptoms of Nail Fungus From Acrylic Nails

Symptoms often stay hidden at first, which is exactly why first stage early stage fingernail fungus from acrylic nails can be easy to miss. The infection tends to build slowly rather than show up all at once.

As it moves along, watch for these signs:

• The nail becomes thicker or more brittle than usual.
• A noticeable bad smell comes from the nail.
• The nail feels sore or painful, especially when you press on it.
• The nail turns yellow, green, black, or white.
• The skin around the nail looks red or swollen.
• The area itches.

If you notice a few of these signs together, it is a good time to give the nail a break from acrylic and get it looked at, rather than covering it up with a new fill.

Is It Fungus or Bacteria? Understanding Green Nail Syndrome

Not every discolored nail under acrylic is a fungal infection. If you have been asking yourself, “why is my nail green under acrylic,” the answer is usually green nail syndrome, which is a bacterial infection. So you can stop Googling “green fungus under acrylic nail”.

What Causes the Green Color (Pseudomonas Aeruginosa)?

A green nail almost always comes from a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, not a fungus. Also known as chloronychia (AAFP), the bacteria grows in the same kind of trapped, damp space that a lifting acrylic creates, which is why it shows up in the same situations that people mistake for fungus (NIH).

If the real cause is bacteria, an antifungal product will not solve it. That’s why searches for how to get rid of green nail fungus often lead to advice that does not work. 

Green Nail Syndrome vs. True Nail Fungus

Self-treating a green nail with an antifungal cream will not clear a bacterial infection, and self-treating a true fungal infection with an antibiotic will not work either. Getting the right diagnosis for toenail fungus acrylic nails is the first step toward clearing it.

Other Color Changes Under Acrylic Nails

Green is not the only color that shows up under acrylic. Here is what a few other common colors usually mean:

• Brown spots on nails after acrylics are often simple bruising from pressure or a stain left behind by polish, but a spot can also signal an early infection if it does not grow out with the nail. For brown spot under acrylic nail treatment, start by removing the acrylic and giving the nail time to dry and grow. If the spot grows, hurts, or stays put, have a clinician take a look.
• A yellow nail under acrylic is frequently one of the first visible signs of a fungal infection, though product buildup can sometimes look similar.
• A black spot usually comes from bruising after the nail gets bumped or pinched, especially if you remember an injury around the time it appeared.
• A dark spot under acrylic nails that shows up without any injury, or one that spreads or changes shape, is worth a professional check rather than a guess.

How to Get Rid of Fungus from Acrylic Nails

Once you know you have toenail fungus acrylic nails, treatment depends on the cause. A true fungal infection generally needs an antifungal treatment, either a topical product or an oral medication for a more severe case.

The steps typically include:

• Removing the Acrylic: Take off the artificial nail right away so the natural nail can dry out and breathe. Do not put on a new set until the infection is fully gone.
• Cleaning the Area: Wash the toe with soap and water daily, then dry it fully.
• Using Antifungal Treatments: For a mild fungal infection, an over-the-counter topical product may help when used as directed on the label.
• Seeing a Doctor: Visit a doctor or podiatrist if the infection does not improve or starts to spread (WebMD).

Medical treatment usually is not necessary unless the infection is severe, is not responding to basic care, or you have a weakened immune system, for example, from chemotherapy or HIV, in which case home care alone is not enough. Oral terbinafine is the most established prescription option for a fungal nail infection and is often taken for several months, and a clinician may also prescribe itraconazole, fluconazole, griseofulvin, or a medicated nail lacquer, depending on the case. In more stubborn fungal cases, a clinician may also recommend debridement, which means trimming down the thickened nail, or laser treatment.

Home Remedies for Toenail Fungus from Acrylic Nails

Many mild infections improve with basic care alone, but no home remedy is a guaranteed cure for fungus under acrylic nails, and none of them replace a proper diagnosis if the infection is not improving.

The basic first step for treating toenail fungus acrylic nails is to remove the acrylic and wash the nail with soap and water, and hold off on a new set until the infection has fully cleared.

• A vinegar soak, using one part vinegar to two parts warm water, once a day, may help since the acid in vinegar can slow the growth of some fungi and bacteria, though this is based on anecdotal reports rather than strong clinical proof.
• A mentholated ointment such as Vicks VapoRub, applied once a day, showed a positive effect on toenail fungus in a small clinical case series (JABFM), though the evidence for fingernails specifically is thinner.
• Tea tree oil, applied twice a day, may help based on one small study, though the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health is clear that more research is needed before anyone can call it a proven treatment (NCCIH).
• Oregano oil contains a compound called thymol that has antifungal properties in lab settings, and some people apply it twice a day with a cotton swab, though real-world evidence in people is limited.
• Soaking the nail in original Listerine for about thirty minutes a day is a home remedy some people try because of its antiseptic ingredients, though there is no strong clinical trial behind this specific use.

How to Treat Green Nails at Home?

Green toenails usually come from bacteria, not fungus, so home care can only help so much.

1. Take off the acrylic or polish so the toenail can dry out.
2. Soak the toenail in warm water for a few minutes daily, then dry it fully.
3. Keep the toenail dry and avoid covering it again until it clears.
4. Trim the toenail short so air can reach the area.

If it does not fade in a week or two, or it spreads, see a doctor. Home care will not clear an infection that needs an antibiotic.

How Long Does It Take for Nail Fungus to Clear Up?

It depends on the cause and how far the infection has gone:

• A mild case may start to look better within a few weeks.
• A true fungal infection often takes several months to fully clear, because nails grow slowly and the healthy nail has to grow out before the damaged part is gone.

Your own timeline can look different from someone else’s, so treat any specific number as a general guide rather than a promise.

How to Prevent Toenail Fungus

A few simple habits lower your risk with acrylic, gel, or dip powder toenails, and they apply to your toes as much as your fingers.

• Choose a salon that follows good hygiene practices you can actually see, such as sanitized tools and clean stations.
• Dry your nails fully after a shower, bath, or swim, since fungus needs moisture to grow.
• Keep your hands and feet as dry as you reasonably can day to day.
• Use an antifungal spray or powder if infections tend to come back for you.
• Avoid letting sharp tools dig under the nail or into the skin around it.

If your acrylics are on your toes rather than your fingers, dry your feet thoroughly after showers and rotate your closed shoes so they have time to air out between wears, since warm, damp shoes create the same conditions that let fungus grow under a fingernail.

When to See a Doctor or Podiatrist

Most nail fungal infections clear up on their own or with basic home care, but it is worth seeing a clinician for a prescription if home care is not working or the infection is causing real discomfort. If you have a weakened immune system, see someone sooner rather than waiting to see if it gets better on its own, since a minor infection can turn serious more easily.

Where you go depends on which nail is affected. For a toenail concern, a podiatrist is the right specialist, since foot and ankle care, including nail fungus, is exactly what a podiatrist treats. For a fingernail-specific concern, a dermatologist or your primary care doctor is a better fit.

Nail Fungus Treatment at Foot and Ankle Specialty Centers

At Foot + Ankle Specialty Centers, we offer assessment and treatments for toenail fungus acrylic nails. Our nail fungus treatment options go beyond over-the-counter creams. We offer prescription topical and oral medications, as well as in-office procedures for infections that have not responded to home care, and we can evaluate whether an infection is fungal or bacterial before building your plan.

Your care is led by Dr. Payam Sarraf, DPM, who graduated magna cum laude with bachelor’s degrees in microbiology and molecular genetics from UCLA and completed additional clinical training at Madigan Army Medical Center during his final year of podiatric school.

We see patients across Phoenix, Chandler, Mesa, Scottsdale, and Gilbert, so help is close by no matter where you are.

Ready for answers? Call us at 480-812-3668 to schedule an appointment and get the right treatment plan for your nails.

FAQs