When looking at the selection of athlete's foot treatments available, it can be difficult to understand what the differences are between each product, and which one is the best choice for you. In this post we will discuss the different products available, and their advantages in treating athlete's foot.
Athlete's Foot Treatments: Cream, Spray, or Powder?
In general, topical athlete's foot treatments that are applied directly to the affected area are preferred due to their easy application and high effectiveness against this type of fungal infection. Since they are used externally rather than internally, they also generally produce far fewer side effects.
These topical athlete's foot products come in a few different forms including gels, powders, sprays, and creams. Powders tend to be a bit messier, while gels, sprays, and creams are a tidier alternative, and are well absorbed by the foot. Out of these three, creams are absorbed by the feet and dry faster, which provides an added convenience. Though out of all of the athlete's foot creams out there, you might wonder which is the most effective? Without a doubt, terbinafine creams easily overshadow the competition.
What is Terbinafine?
A product like Silka© Antifungal Cream with 1% terbinafine, in addition to the advantage of being applied topically, is also regarded as being more effective than other well-known antimicrobial agents such as: miconazole, clotrimazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole.
Terbinafine belongs to a class of antifungals referred to as allylamines. These substances kill fungus by blocking the formation of essential substances in their cell membrane, resulting in a toxic accumulation of enzymes in the fungus, killing it quickly and effectively.
The only effective athlete's foot treatment is one that is adhered to
If you are someone that stops treating a condition as soon as you begin to see results, you should know that is actually the number one reason why athlete's foot is so persistent. By discontinuing treatment before the fungus is completely gone, it is unlikely that your athlete's foot will go away, and it may even get worse! This is because interrupting treatment can cause the fungus to become resistant to the medications being used against it, increasing the amount of time needed to cure the fungus and forcing you to spend even more on athlete's foot products.
Terbinafine cream is one of the easiest products to stick to, combining the quick treatment period of terbinafine with the convenience of a cream. Terbinafine-based athlete's foot products also allow for visible improvement after only a few days of use — with noticeable reduction in burning, itching, and foot odor characteristic of athlete's foot. Being able to see that the product starting to work in only a few days will also help motivate you to follow through with the treatment, and cure your athlete's foot.
Since terbinafine-based products absorb so well into the skin, they continue to work against foot fungus for weeks after finishing seven days of treatment. Meanwhile, other products require you to continue to apply the treatment for an additional 1-2 weeks after the typical four-week long treatment is over in order to avoid a resurgence of the fungus.
In order to get the best results possible from the treatment that you choose, it is essential that you start athlete’s foot treatment at the first signs of foot fungus. If left untreated, athlete’s foot only tends to worsen and become even more difficult to treat.
Get the Most Out of your Athlete's Foot Treatment
You should be extra vigilant about maintaining adequate foot hygiene during and shortly after treatment in order to avoid getting the infection again. If you need a bit of a refresher on ways to avoid getting athlete's foot, feel free to take a look at our post on the topic.
We hope that this short comparison will help you find the best treatment option for you! Though do remember to always follow package instructions for any over-the-counter product that you use including dosage instructions. You can find the package instructions for Silka© Antifungal Cream here. If your athlete's foot is very severe, accompanied by other symptoms, or not responding to treatment, be sure to consult your primary care doctor or podiatrist to avoid potential complications.
Take care!
