What to Do About Molluscum Contagiosum

What is Molluscum Contagiosm?

These pearly, wart-like bumps are a highly contagious virus in the pox family that are extremely common in young children. Some say that having Molluscum is a childhood right of passage…although that doesn’t make anyone’s child feel any better.

It’s all around us in the environment, so almost everyone gets exposed to it at some point. Some cases are worse than others, but there are ways to help your child deal with the discomfort.

First things first,

How do you catch it?

Molluscum spreads from person-to-person, like a wart - which is also a virus. If there’s any little open area of skin, it invades and infects it. Some experience pink bumps and others don’t.  This virus thrives on wet surfaces so beware when you are at the swimming pool sharing towels or at the gym or playground where children are likely to come in contact with each other.

The bumps are actually harmless, but there are a nuisance nonetheless. They are limited to the skin, which means that they can’t spread to other parts of the body.

What happens is the molluscum virus just hangs out in your skin. It evades your immune system’s recognition since it’s only in your skin’s top layer, or epidermis. At some point, your immune system catches on that it’s there and gets rid of the bumps. When that happens, you’re immune. You never get them again!

Molluscum is contagious as long as the child still has the molluscum bumps on their skin.

If you look at the bumps, they’re usually pink, domed-shaped. And sometimes if you look up close, they’re what you call umbilicated (meaning they look like they have a little belly button in the middle). That’s the core of viral particles, or the contagious part of the molluscum.

Once the body’s immune system kicks in and there’s crusting or a scab developing, that particular molluscum isn’t contagious anymore.

If your child has been exposed to molluscum contagiosum, it will take two to seven weeks to know if they’ll develop the molluscum.

Can my child still go to school?

Yes! Children who have molluscum contagiosum shouldn’t have their activities limited. They can interact with children normally because the virus is already all around us. Removing your child from an activity or classroom won’t protect others because the virus will still be present.

Is there a treatment?

Usually, kids aren’t bothered by it, but some parents elect to have them treated for various reasons. These treatments are somewhat painful for the patient, but the result is that the body’s immune system has been alerted to the virus and can therefore respond faster.

As the body tries to get rid of them, they can appear worse than they did before. Believe it or not, it’s actually a very good sign. This is just the body’s immune cells fighting the virus. It’s not an infection and doesn’t need antibiotics…just time to heal!

We understand that having your child deal with something like this is frustrating, but many children have them and they never see a dermatologist. If it doesn’t bother them, it’s not something to lose sleep over.

We hope you find this information helpful! Any questions, please reach out. We are just a phone call away!