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Molluscum Contagiosum Treatment

Written by Megan Kinder, with information referenced for convenience (to our growing DermatitisInformation.com base of 2,500+ monthly readers) per month with permission from Covenant Care Pediatrics, P.C. megan@dermatitisinformation.com

What should I expect when approaching Molluscum Contagiosum Treatment?

It starts with one or several of the small bumps. It often spreads to surrounding skin, and may appear elsewhere on the body as well. They do not usually itch or hurt, although sometimes a bump is in a spot where it can get irritated. They usually go away without any treatment in 6 months to 2 years.

How is Molluscum Contagiosum Treatment executed?

• It does not usually require any treatment; it benign and will eventually go away. Some of the treatments are worse than the infection itself; some can lead to side effects including pain and scarring. Sometimes severe cases need to be treated, or cases where a lesion is getting irritated or causing problems.
• Sometimes an acne medication (a retinoid) is effective and can be tried if desired.
• Lesions can be treated like a wart, with freezing, scraping or chemical treatments by a dermatologist.
• Lesions can also be treated with immune-modulating therapy used for genital warts.

What complications should I look for during Molluscum Contagiosum Treatment?

• Sometimes lesions can become so irritated that they get infected, with redness, swelling and drainage.
• The surrounding skin can develop an itching, scaly rash.

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