What Is The Fastest Way To Get Rid Of Molluscum Contagiosum?

Well, the fastest way to get rid of molluscum contagiosum (MC) is treating the lesion either medically or surgically. If nothing is done it takes about 6-12 months for the lesion to get cleared and in some people especially in immunocompromised people it might take even 18 months.

Actually, molluscum does not need any treatment, it follows its natural course and goes away without any treatment. Treating these lesions can cause scarring and other side effects, however without treatment molluscum can take few months to recover and this can affect the quality of life of a person as until the lesions disappear. The disease is contagious. So, the easiest and the fastest way to get rid of molluscum is to treat it without waiting until it disappears.

Most of the treatments available for molluscum contagiosum are painful and upsetting for the young children and there is an increased risk of permanent scarring therefore, treatment is not recommended for younger children.

Treatment is recommended for older children and adults who have lesions that affect their appearance and the quality of life. Treatment is also offered to immunocompromised patients because the lesion can take several years to disappear completely.

Topical Treatment For Molluscum Contagiosum

There are several creams, ointments and lotions available which can be applied on the affected skin.

Potassium Hydroxide. Potassium hydroxide breaks down the infected skin cells and helps the immune system to clear the molluscum contagiosum lesions. It’s available in liquid form and should be applied twice a day on the spots. When the spots start to inflame or if nothing happens within 14 days you have to stop applying it. After applying there can be redness, burning or itching sensation which will go away in a few minutes.

Benzoyl Peroxide. This comes as a cream or gel and is used to get rid of molluscum contagiosum. First wash the area and dry it then apply it once or twice a day on the lesions. Benzoyl peroxide is photosensitive therefore avoid exposing to heavy sunlight after applying or wear sun cream.

Podophyllotoxin. Podophyllotoxin it kills the cells by poisoning them. Podophyllotoxin comes in liquid form and a special dropper is given, so that the amount can be measured exactly and only that amount is dripped onto each spot. Treatment is done as a cycle, few days you need to do the treatment and then few days without it. Mild irritation can occur at the initialization of the treatments.

Imiquimod. Imiquimod comes as cream it is usually used to treat larger molluscum contagiosum lesions or lesion that are clustered together. It stimulates the immune system to attack the lesions. Apply the cream on the lesions and wash it off after about 6-10 hours. Do these three times a week. It might stake some time to get the results. Side effects are redness and swelling of the skin, itchiness or burning sensation, hard and flaky skin and headache. These side effects pass away after few weeks.

Tretinoin. Tretinoin is available as a liquid, you can apply it once or twice a day. It’s also photosensitive therefore avoid going in the sun light after applying. Results may take some time and side effects are mild irritation and stinging of the skin.

Other Treatments For Molluscum Contagiosum

Cryotherapy. The spots are freezen with liquid nitrogen to remove them. A spot is frozen for 5 to 10 seconds until a layer of ice is formed over the spot and surrounding skin, needs several sessions to clear the molluscum contagiosum lesions completely.

Diathermy. The area is anesthetized and a heated electrical device is used to diathermies the lesions.

Curettage. The lesions are scrapped off using a thin metal spoon (curette) the area is infiltrated with a local anesthetic.

Pulsed-Dye Lasers. A powerful light beam is used to destroy the cells in the molluscum contagiosum lesions. The lesions can be removed within few weeks of repeated sessions, however, there can be skin discoloration and it’s expensive compared to other treatments methods.

Conclusion

Well, the fastest way to get rid of molluscum contagiosum (MC) is treating the lesion either medically or surgically. If nothing is done it takes about 6-12 months for the lesion to get cleared and in some people especially immunocompromised people it might take even 18 months. There are topical treatment methods such as potassium hydroxide, imiquimod, benzoyl peroxide, and tretinoin. Other treatment modalities are cryotherapy, diathermy, curettage, and pulsed-dye lasers.

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What Is The Fastest Way To Get Rid Of Molluscum Contagiosum?