Different Types of Foot Fungus and the Best Treatment

Itchy toes? Thick yellow nails? Scaly bottoms? You don't have to suffer from it alone, just diagnose the right type of fungus and we are here to help you.

Experts say over 70% of people are likely to develop foot fungus at some time in their lives. Tinea pedis is the second most common skin disease in the United States affecting approximately 15% of the worldwide population. However, the majority of people handle all types of foot fungi in the same manner. That's why so many people continue to be caught in a cycle of reinfections.

Imperial Feet has been treating fungal infections of the feet since 2001. Here I will explain the causes of each of the five categories, how the conditions manifest and the best focused treatment for each. 

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What Causes Foot Fungus? The Science Behind Fungal Infections

It is caused by three genera of fungus: Microsporum, Epidermophyton floccosum and Trichophyton (most common; T. rubrum, about 70% of cases).

Keratin is necessary for the growth of fungi. In addition to providing warmth and moisture within shoes, feet supply a lot of keratin in the skin and nails. As a result, a nearly ideal fungus breeding habitat is accessible on a daily basis.

• Risk factors include: occlusive footwear, excessive sweating, diabetes, impaired immunity, sharing of nail tools, age, and communal wet areas (pools, gyms, hotels). Fungi can survive for up to one year on contaminated surfaces or by direct hand contact.

• Different species cause different diseases: 

T. mentagrophytes is associated with more acute blister-forming infections 

T. rubrum is associated with persistent or moccasin-type infections. 

The more you know about your type, the better the t. 

Type 1: Interdigital Athlete's Foot | The Most Common Foot Fungus

Most people use the term "athlete's foot". It starts between the toes, typically between the 4th and 5th toes, the most sweaty and hidden part of the foot.

• Cause: Primarily due to T. rubrum, but sometimes due to E. floccosum or T. mentagrophytes. 
• Foot Fungus Symptoms: Scaling, peeling, tiny fissures, white, wet, or macerated skin, and burning and itching between the toes are some of the symptoms. Odour is caused by secondary bacterial colonization.

The common way to develop nail fungus is through the sole, other toe webs and ultimately the toenails, when not treated. It is worse in the summer, and having closed shoes all day will make it worse. 

How  to treat foot fungus | Interdigital Athlete's Foot

1. After washing your feet with antifungal soap, be sure to dry them completely, especially between the toes.
2. Use the Imperial Feet Athlete's Foot treatment and apply it to the affected toe spaces, twice daily (morning and evening). Important ingredients are piroctone olamine, almond oil and aloe vera.
3. After each wear, apply the antifungal shoe spray to your shoes. Most people skip this step and that's why most reinfections occur.
4. Shoes should be changed at least every 24 hours, and should be made of moisture-wicking or breathable cotton. 

In 3-5 days, there will be noticeable improvement, and recovery in 1-2 weeks. Get Imperial Feet Athlete’s Foot Solution, the best antifungal for athlete's foot.

Type 2: Moccasin-Type Tinea Pedis | Chronic Foot Fungus Explained

Named for its appearance, the rash looks hyperkeratotic (thickened, scaly) and covers the sole and sides of the foot completely like a moccasin slipper. If you've been applying athlete's foot lotion for weeks and it hasn't gotten any better, this might be the cause.

• Cause: The most persistent and long-lasting dermatophytes, T. rubrum, is responsible for almost all cases of different types of athlete’s foot. 

• Foot fungus symptoms are diffuse fine scaling throughout the plantar surface, thickness of skin as though it is very dry, and redness at the borders.

The most important thing is that some moccasin-type infections can be mistaken for eczema (which responds to steroid cream and not fungus) or psoriasis (which has a silvery scale, and is seen on the knees and elbows). 

How to Treat Moccasin Type Athlete's Foot: Why Penetration Is Key

Because of the thick hyperkeratotic scale, topical antifungals cannot penetrate into the living population of fungus. This is the reason why standard creams are not effective for this type of skin.

Pre-treatment: 

• Soften the scale by soaking the feet for 15 minutes in warm water. 
• For thicker areas, use a foot file or pumice stone to gently file. 
• After the skin has relaxed, apply Athlete's Foot Solution. 
• Oral terbinafine, a general practitioner prescription, has a higher cure rate in severe cases.

Interdigital takes 1-2 weeks, moccasin-type takes 2-4 weeks or longer. If the shoe disinfection is not performed, reinfection from shoes will ruin everything. Shoe & Sock Spray is essential during treatment. Compare athlete's foot vs nail fungus differences and treatment for a detailed comparison, it will help you treat the right problem. 

Type 3: Vesicular Tinea Pedis — Blistering Foot Fungus and Its Causes

Vesicular means blister-forming. It appears concerning but it is curable.

• Cause: It occurs predominantly due to the more acute and aggressive species, T. mentagrophytes var. interdigitale, compared to T. rubrum. 

• Foot Fungus daSymptoms: This type appears as small, tight fluid-filled bumps on the foot's arch and instep, often with intense burning and itching. When blisters are popped, they tend to enlarge and can get a secondary infection.

Please note there will be a possibility of "id reaction", an allergic rash of the hands resulting from the infection of the foot. This is probably the cause if you get foot blisters accompanied by a hand rash.

It typically occurs in warmer temperatures, and it will happen once a year, typically in the summer. 

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Important

Do not stop treatment as soon as symptoms improve; continue for at least one extra week to reduce reinfection risk.

Vesicular Tinea Pedis Treatment: How to Safely Heal Foot Blisters

Avoid rupturing the blisters. They can allow bacteria to penetrate and fungi to spread through the skin when opened.

• Apply Athlete's Foot Solution around intact blisters, rather than directly to open/bleeding skin. 

• Use cool compresses, not ice in an acute phase to reduce irritation and inflammation. 

• Once these blisters have completely disappeared, continue treatment for a minimum of one week. 

• The most common cause of reinfection in this type is prematurely discontinuing treatment.

If any of the blisters show signs of bacterial infection (i.e. pus, spread of redness, fever), see a doctor. Anti-fungal medication might also need to be combined with antibiotics. 

Type 4: Onychomycosis | When Foot Fungus Spreads to the Toenails

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection in either the nail plate or nail bed or both. It is responsible for about one-half of all nail diseases in the world.

• Cause: The most frequent cause of a nail fungus is if the athlete's foot is not treated, particularly interdigital and moccasin types. T. rubrum invades the nail from the skin via the distal free edge. Inside the nail, it thickens, discolours, and ultimately destroys the nail plate.

• Foot Fungus Symptoms are crumbling edges, brittle and thick nails, discoloration (yellow, white or brown) and the pulling of nails from the nail bed (onycholysis). 

The four clinical toenail fungus types are: White superficial, Proximal subungual, Distal lateral subungual (which is the most common) and Complete dystrophic (which is the most severe).

A physical barrier is the nail plate. Most traditional topical treatments cannot penetrate to the area of the nail bed where it is housed. That is why it is so much more challenging to treat nail fungus than skin fungus.

Best Treatment for Toenail Fungus: What Actually Penetrates

Imperial Feet Nail fungus treatment is a remedy to get rid of nail fungus. The Nail Mycosis Solution is a blend of chestnut extract, tolnaftate (an FDA-approved topical over-the-counter antifungal), jojoba oil (as a wax-ester penetration carrier) and tea tree oil.

The key ingredient is the jojoba oil that carries the actives of the tea tree to the nail bed. For moderate to severe infections, use pure tea tree oil.

How to use it: Cut nails short, gently file the nail surface; use the solution twice a day; do not rinse; and use Shoe & Sock Spray on shoes every day.

Progressive improvement in 2-8 weeks. Nail replacement will take 6-9 months, depending on the rate at which nails grow (1.5 mm per month), not on how quickly the treatment can be completed. Patience is the key. Check the complete guide on how to get rid of yellow toenails for the best solution. 

Type 5: Eumycetoma (Madura Foot) — A Rare but Severe Foot Infection

This is an important point to clarify, eumycetoma is a deep fungal infection involving bone, skin and subcutaneous tissue. 

• Cause: It is not produced by the dermatophytes responsible for athlete's foot and nail fungus. It occurs due to entirely different organisms like Madurella mycetomatis, Scedosporium boydii and others. The organism invades the deep tissues through trauma, e.g., a thorn, splinter, or wound. 

• Foot Fungus Symptoms include firm, nontender swelling, granule-discharging sinus tracts and in more severe cases, bone destruction. Long-term prescription antifungals and frequent surgery are needed for treatment. Topicals for this type are not effective OTC.

Distribution: Predominantly in Latin America, the Indian subcontinent and sub-Saharan Africa, but is extremely rare in North America and Europe. 

However, the four categories listed above are of major importance to most readers.

Foot Fungus Types Around the World: Prevalence and Treatment Access

Climate, culture, and access to healthcare all have a substantial impact on the occurrence of foot fungus and favored treatments: 

How to Prevent All Types of Foot Fungus: Foot Fungus Prevention Tips

1. Wash your feet and dry them thoroughly, particularly between the toes, after washing. Moisture provides all types of fungi with the opportunity.

2. Take at least one day between wears for shoes, and rotate them. Apply antifungal shoe spray inside after wearing each day.

3. Wear breathable, moisture-absorbing cotton socks. Always change daily, or more often if your feet get very sweaty.

4. Avoid entering shared wet areas, like pools, gym showers or hotel bathrooms without shoes. Always wear flip flops.

5. After each usage, sanitize nail instruments with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Never distribute files or clippers.

6. Do not allow fungus to enter by having the nails trimmed at a right angle or rounded.

7. Since interdigital fungus is the primary cause of toenail fungus, treat the athlete's foot very carefully.

8. Spray shoes and socks before wearing. Get anti-fungal foot treatment products at Imperial Feet.

A significant cause for transmission is the carpet in hotels. 

Use Imperial Feet Nail Mycosis Solution as soon as you notice a slight sign of fungal infection. It contains tea tree oil that allows deeper penetration into the nail bed. Read about tea tree oil for fungal nails and its benefits.

Imperial Feet: The Complete Treatment Range for All Foot Fungus Types

Whatever type you are suffering from, there is a solution:

Athlete's Foot Solution for Vesicular, moccasin and Interdigital. Almond oil, piroctone olamine and aloe vera – results can be felt in 3-5 days. Apply the athlete's foot treatment twice a day, daily.

Apply Nail Mycosis Solution, which has a deep penetration composition and contains tolnaftate, jojoba carrier and tea tree oil for onychomycosis. Amazon's #1 selling solution for nail fungus. Since 2001, we have been trusted by podiatrists in over 20 countries. After light filing, apply the nail mycosis solution twice a day.

Both hospital-grade isopropyl alcohol and benzalkonium chloride are effective against shoes and socks, and so should be sprayed on both. Treatment of the foot without the shoe and sock spray is a half-treatment.

If you are seeking a bundle or a complete treatment program, explore Imperial Feet's complete nail fungus treatment range. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Types of Foot Fungus

What Is the Difference Between Foot Fungus and Nail Fungus Types?

Foot fungus (tinea pedis) is a condition that affects the skin on the sides, soles, and between the toes. Nail fungus (onychomycosis) weakens the nail plate and bed. Both are caused by the same dermatophytes, most commonly T. rubrum, and usually occur when the skin fungus is not treated. It extends into the nail. Nail fungus requires 6 to 9 months of treatment, while skin fungus will respond in days to weeks. See athlete's foot and nail fungus differences and treatment for more information.

How Can You Tell Which Type of Foot Fungus You Have at Home?

Interdigital appears as whitish, moist skin between the toes, itching and peeling of skin. Moccasin is an overall scaly, dry rash of the sole, which can be mistaken for dry skin. Vesicular type is blisters on the soles, instep or arch. Nail fungus is thickening or crumbling discoloration that may be yellow, white or brown.

Is Foot Fungus Contagious and Can It Spread to Family Members?

In fact, all onychomycosis and tinea pedis are contagious. The infection can spread through direct contact, sharing of towels, nail tools and contaminated floors. The biggest danger to households is the use of shared showers, bath mats and nail clippers. To prevent infections, flippers should be worn in the shared bathrooms, treat the patients immediately, clean shared areas and don't share towels or nail instruments.

Can Foot Fungus Go Away on Its Own Without Any Treatment?

Almost never. Fungi will continue to invade and grow in the warm, moist shoe environment. The fungal colony is shielded from the immune system and the environment by the nail plate. If not treated early, the infection can become more severe and may be passed on to other nails and people at home, as all subsequent treatment may be more difficult.

How Long Does It Take to Fully Cure Each Type of Foot Fungus?

Interdigital: 1-2 weeks. Moccasin type: 2-4 weeks. Vesicular: 1-2 weeks. Nail fungus: at least 6–9 months, depending on the rate of nail growth, not the rate of treatment. Treatment must always be given for at least 1 week after symptoms have resolved. The most common cause of reinfection of any sort is prematurely quitting. For a complete foot fungus treatment regimen, check out our anti-fungal foot treatment products.