Toenail recovery from fungal infection, how should it look?

As the others said, the clear nail starting at the proximal nail fold (the base, near the toe) is the clinical sign of cure. You're looking for that new growth to be completely unaffected by the things that characterized the infection no more yellowish streaks, no more separation, and no more of that crumbly texture.

Another subtle but good sign is the reduction in thickness. Fungal nails get really thick, which is called hypertrophy. As the new nail comes in, you should notice that new section is a normal, healthy thickness, making the nail much easier to trim and more comfortable to walk on. This is important because the thickened nail can press down and cause pain.

I have a friend whom had a yellow toenail. About 1.5 months after applying antifungal ointment/cream, and keeping it dry (as much as possible), it appears that the yellowness is fading, but there is a white area on the nail now, replacing the yellow, kinda like grown out nails, where the nail is not reflecting the colour of the skin below. Is this normal? Image of nail now here (warning, might be gross) https://i.imgur.com/cShI49w.jpg

A healthy toenail is translucent, smooth, and slightly pink. If you look at your uninfected nails, that's the goal. When your treated nail begins to recover, the new growth section will start to look exactly like your healthy nails.

I used a combination of oral meds and topical lacquer, and I knew it was finally working because the color change was happening. The yellow discoloration stopped progressing, and the nail that came in after that point was perfectly clear. It was a slow motion before-and-after photo unfolding on my toe for nearly a year. Don't worry if the old nail still looks gross just watch for the clean growth from the back.

The clearest sign the fungus is beaten is that the new nail growth is attached to the nail bed and is clear of discoloration. The infected nail often lifts up, looking chalky white or yellow underneath because the fungus is literally eating the connection.

When the recovery starts, the new nail should be sealed down tightly to the toe skin underneath, and you should see the pinkish color of the blood vessels below it, meaning it's a healthy, working attachment. If it keeps lifting, the infection might still be hanging around, so look closely at the color and the stick-down factor. That attachment is key to knowing you're on the road to a full cosmetic cure.

The biggest mistake people make is thinking the whole nail will suddenly be better. It's a slow race, not a sprint. The sign that your treatment is actually working is that the area closest to the cuticle should start looking clean and clear.

Think of it like painting over a stain. The new paint (new nail) comes out perfectly, but the old stain (the fungus-damaged nail) is still there until you cut it all off. So watch the base. If you see a clear crescent of normal-looking nail emerging at the bottom, congratulations, the fungus is dead and the clock has started on the grow-out process. That grow-out process is the long haul, sometimes taking over a year for the big toenail.

Ugh, I'm still in the recovery phase and I started treatment like six months ago. My big toe was the worst. My nail is probably 2/3 clear now, but the part on the very end is still kind of yellow and chunky and I'm just waiting for it to grow long enough to cut off.

The good news is that the new growth is definitely clear and flat, looks like a normal toenail. It's just a waiting game for the rest of the garbage to get pushed out. Just remember to keep your shoes dry and maybe keep using a prophylactic powder even after the fungus seems "cured" to prevent it from coming back and ruining your new nail.