Over the Counter
Apple tree wash is a gel based product that is infused with Apple pectin to help balance your skins pH. It has ACV, Salicylic Acid, and tea tree oil to fight against bacteria and oils. I used it on my 5 yr old who had Mollusum and it really got the job done. I highly recommend this product. I bought mine at a trade show and the owner who is a real nice guy said think they are coming online and to stores real soon.
Pierce With Needle, ACV, Tea Tree Oil
★★★★★
I got this awful infection from a dishonest person, who knew they had it, so my tale begins sadly, but has a happy ending.
I noticed a few small bumps on my bikini line about 2 weeks after he told me he had it. I immediatley freaked out because I have a few friends who have dealt with this and they chose to let it run its course and had it from 6 months to a year. That really didn't seem like an option for me.
I went to Planned Parenthood, thinking I could get them burned off, but instead they said, "that's very expensive, just do this!" and gave me some medical double sided needles, instructing me to stab each one and then squeeze out the viral head.
So while this sounded very unappealing, I figured hey, it only cost me 15$. So I got a very close friend to don some latex gloves, got some rubbing alcohol and we did some DIY surgery.
It wasn't as painful as I thought and it was over quickly, we pierced each bump at the dimple, forced the white stuff out, then wiped the whole area down with alcohol as fast as we could.
We also washed our hands between each bump.
Afterwards I packed apple cider vinegar with cotton balls and a bandage to the area, which was slightly uncomfortable, but not bad. I changed once more before bedtime. During the day I wiped the area down in tea tree oil and kept it covered with a breathable sterile pad and bandaids.
So I did the apple cider vinegar packs 3 days in a row, until the skin started looking very red and angry, then I left off, just wiping with Tea Tree oil once in the morning and once at night.
Now the bumps are just scabs and all looks well, I am so happy what could last for a year can go away in a few weeks with some direct action and a little help from an understanding friend.
Good luck to you all! You can cure yourself!
Pierce With Needle, Aldara
★★★★★
My son had molluscum and they just weren't going away. We tried Aldara cream for 3 months like the doctor said, still with no results. It went on for a year but I finally found something that worked. Heres what I did:
Take a needle (I used a medical grade syringe needle since its tiny and sharp) and just pierce the bump well. Then alcohol the area well and wash your hands. Next, put aldara cream on the bump evry night for a week. Keep it covered lightly because you want it to get air to dry out, but it is also contagious when the bumps are open. They will get really red and angry looking for a week, start to scab and when the scab falls off they are gone. I think this works because the problem with Molluscum is the body doesn't recognize the virus on your skin so it doesn't try to fight it. Puncturing the bumps and adding Aldara make the body recognize it as foreign and it begins to fight it off. Time will tell but I hope the virus will be completely gone for good. Please pass this along to help others!
Erin
Sea Salt Soak
★★★★★
Found blog about ocean water helping, tried soaking in 1/4 c sea salt in warm tub soak 15 min twice a day gone in 7 days and never came back! Doctor was very pleased. Had two other friends use worked like a charm. Please try!!!
Sea Salt, Coconut and Clove Oils
★★★★★
I am writing to try to prevent any unnecessary suffering I can by sharing what worked for me to get rid of the god-awful molluscum that has been plaguing me—in A WEEK.
Yep!!
The short answer is this: bathing in Dead Sea Salts/Epsom salts each night (2 cups of salt, soak for at least 30 minutes) and then slathering my body in coconut oil infused with clove oil. I've been suffering from molluscum for 7 months—and spending hours each day for the past 3 months applying bandages soaked in ACV—and the bathing/coconut oil has ridded me of dozens of spots within four days!! So PLEASE try it—it won't hurt or sting like ACV, it won't scar (it's in fact really GOOD for your skin), the coconut oil soothes itching, and your suffering will finally be OVER.
I read about the sea salts and coconut oil on: http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2011/06/27/treating-molluscum/.
(Note: I only used tepid—not hot-- water to bathe in because I was terrified it would spread the virus. I bathed my leg in tepid water for a week to make sure it wouldn't spread before soaking my whole body in the tub. I was also scared that the coconut oil would spread the infection. Neither, thank God, did. I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHETHER BATHING IN HOT WATER WOULD SPREAD IT, THOUGH).
Coconut oil has lauric acid in it which is anti-viral. One study showed it was effective: https://www.vmvhypoallergenics.com/skintelligencenter/published-studies/42-published-studies/76-coconut-oil-extract-2-monolaurin-cream-in-the-treatment-of-molluscum-contagiosum
I bought Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and added 10 drops of clove oil for each tablespoon of coconut oil (had to warm it in the microwave to make it spreadable). You can dab the clove oil directly on spots and they will often scab in a few hours (thought the spots will sting). I also added 10 drops of something called “Thieves Oil” which has clove oil, cinnamon oil, lemon oil, and eucalyptus; this smelled great and the cinnamon oil seemed to improve the circulation.
Meanwhile, internally, take Tagamet (Cimetidine), which will enhance T-Lymphocytic activity. I took 400mg 3 times a day!! It definitely didn't make my spots disappear, but it did keep them from reaching mature size. By the time I found the sea salt and coconut oil/clove oil treatment, I had dozens of small spots. (My derm froze the first set of spots—which were twice as big as pimples—and left scars. I don't know why, but after she treated them, I found new spots popping up all over my body. But the Cimetidine seemed to keep them small; few ever developed a visible white core. I think the sea salt and coconut oil /clove oil worked so quickly because the Cimetidine kept the spots so small.)
Also, Colostrum (or Lactoferrin) will enhance your immune system. I also took 10,000 IU Vitamin D, Zinc, Vitamin C, Oregano Oil (which has anti-viral activity) and Holy Basil; who knows whether they did anything.
I have heard that there are four different strains of molluscum and that they look different and likely respond to different treatments. My mature molluscum (the first round) looked like really large pimples, not dimpled warts. This sea salt bath and coconut oil/clove oil moisturizing treatment worked wonders for these spots—and SO FAST!! I hope you try it because I want to spare you the months of misery I went through before I discovered this.
Tape
Well about a year ago I noticed a few bumps on my 7 year old, I went to his dr and was told that it was eczema and was given meds that have not worked at all. The MC spread to his back buttocks knees and arms and now my 4 year old has a few on him. I finally went to a derm. And was told that it was MC and he told me to use scotch tape and tap the bumps 20-30 times each a couple times a day. So for about 2 weeks I have been doing that and I have noticed a change they are starting to go away. It is a pain in the butt to do but so far is drying them out. A couple days ago I started ACV as well so hopefully that will start working. I also read that if the virus is on arms or any exposed areas and the kids have to go to school or whatever to put clear nailpoish over the bumps so the virus can't spread.
Tea Tree Oil
★★★★★
I wanted share my MC story because I used this website so much when I was diagnosed. So here goes...
Late January I noticed a small bump on my labia, I figure it was just shaving irritation and nothing to worry about as it didn't bother me at all. After 2 weeks of it being there and me noticing another one pop up close to it I told my boyfriend my concerns and showed him. He said it looks harmless and barely noticeable. I started to google random STDs- nothing looked like it. So I made an app to see my Gyno in early February. My gyno first said it was shaving irritation and with further examination said it was MC and showed me a few photos. The photos looked like 2 bumps I had on my belly for a few months, I showed her those and she confirmed those were also MC and if that is where they started then I likely spread them to my vagina via shaving or scratching. My fb had no signs of MC and this did not effect our sex life- he was no scared of getting it. Although I was scared to give it to him. We are unsure of where the MC came from. I go to the gym an spa and hot yoga so any of those could be possible. My gyno said we could freeze them. I made and appt to do so and went home to do my own research. That night I started Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) on the 2 mature ones on my belly- bandaid and cotton soaked in ACV, after 3 nights they turned black and fell off.so I canceled the freezing after self treating and learning freezing is not always effective and scars.
This was good but I couldn't do this on my sensitive vagina. So I started dabbing ACV down below. This lead to chemical burns and extreme itching along with the MC not getting better and spreading. plus is smelled terrible. I switched to Tea Tree Oil (TTO) morning and night. Wiped it on with a make up pad. I cleaned up my diet, worked out, ate a ton of fruits and veggies, lots of water, not using a wash cloth on my vagina just TTO shampoo and my hands to wash. Not shaving and not using a towel to dry off. I did this religiously from the end of February to the beginning of May (now) MC free... Finally.
The last month I have watched my MC spread and look so bad I never thought it was going to go away to disappearing before my eyes. I have a very strong immune system and I was so ready for my body to beat it, and it finally has! Some MC started to really come to a head after my showers and I used toilet paper to take those head off. I was using TTO harshly against my skin and that seemed to help make the MC mad and they started to die...turned flaky white and scabby and eventually just go away. It took a good month of this process but I can tell you it will go away. Just hang on and try not to stress.
MC is the biggest mind game... It steals your joy. I don't know if this has any merit but I stared eating mushrooms heavily during the clearing and I think they helped in healing me.
Tea Tree Oil
I contracted Molluscum Contagiosum from wearing a rented wet suit. My diagnosis was done by my ob-gyn (biopsy) as the MC was on my very upper groins.
As I refuse to live with that for "at least 6 months", I researched for remedies, and stumbled upon this site and decided to give tea tree oil a try.
I started off with about 10 MC blisters on my left upper thigh and 5 on my right upper thigh. Here's how I was able to clear my MC in less than two weeks, and I hope it can help you as well:
- Apply 100% pure tea tree oil on MC blisters 4-5 times a day. I practically carried TTO with me and applied through out the day (Everyone's body reacts to essential oils differently. My intention was to kill / burn it from day 1. You should be careful and test how your body responds to tea tree oil.)
- I got on a juice cleanse for 7 days to boost my immune system
- Reminded myself that I needed to be in a constant happy and stress-free mode
Results:
- Day 3-4: MC started to look smaller
- Day 7, I finished the first bottle of .5 oz TTO and bough a 1 oz bottle, MC appeared to be flat, with just a couple more large blisters right around the biopsy area
- Day 10, MC's pretty much gone - flat with just darkened scalpy surface
- Day 10 - 15, continue improvement, but I am still applying TTO to the affected area about 2-3 times a day.
Good luck!
Tea Tree Oil
My 5 year boy old was diagnosed with Molluscum Contagiosum four days ago and I started treating it with straight Tea Tree oil right away. I apply it every time he goes to the bathroom, about 3 or 4 times a day. His MC began as a patch of raised bumps in the crease of his thigh/groin. Since it is my first experience with this stressful affliction, and his MC is in patch not seperate lesions, I would really be grateful if someone would tell me what new lesions look like so I can watch out for other lesions on my son (or on my other 4 children). So far his patch is looking redder and some of the white cores have come out, so I think we're on the right track. I keep checking him everywhere for new flair ups, but I am not sure what to look for. Hopefully this works and I can keep the rest of my family free of MC.
(Il, US)
02/03/2015
I've read the posts on how to treat Mollusum Contigiosum - and I have tried Tea Tree oil on my 2 year old who has been infected with this. Since I've been applying a balm I made with Tea Tee oil and Coconut oil, her bumps are becoming red and popping. A hard puss is coming out followed by some blood. I have treated the wound and cover it up with a spray bandage so that it doesn't spread. But I can't find any literature about whether this is normal and that the MC pops eventually. The dermatologist said to burn them off, but I don't want to do that. Am I doing something wrong? Is this normal? Are there any other home safe remedies that anyone has found useful?
(Tennessee)
02/05/2015
Dear Fotini,
I have not dealt with Molluscum Contagiosum before, so I really do not know if this is a normal course of healing. Sometimes infections do "come to a head" and bleed and then heal. I am wondering how the spots look now? Is the redness improving?
I have used tea tree and coconut oil on my children for other skin infections with success. I am hoping that the spots are improving by now. If not, you might try diluted Apple Cider Vinegar on the spots. You could even do that before applying the tea tree/coconut oil mixture.
We have also found baking soda baths to be helpful for a number of children's conditions. When my children had chicken pox, it helped them a lot. I would put 1 cup of baking soda into a warm bath and have them soak at least 20 minutes. I think the body must absorb some and improve the ph of the body, thus helping it to heal better.
Let us know how it goes!
~Mama to Many~
Tea Tree Oil
★★★★★
Molluscum Contagiosum: Tea tree oil worked 100% for me. it was like Godsend for me.
MC were in dozens on my face and some on chest and back. I got tea tree oil (diluted) from a store and applied directly on them twice a day.
When I bathed I used tea tree face wash. I also didn't shave for few weeks and kept my face dry. In few weeks they were gone like they never appeared.
I also use tea tree oil as mosquito repellant (work for few hours).
(Karachi, PK)
03/31/2014
Tea Tree Oil
I have read so many entries about MC and I have to say I am mad at myself for not searching for a home remedy before now! My 3 year old daughter has had this well over a year. I took her to the derm and like you all have said, nothing they can do they will go away. Well we started out with a few and then quickly moved to 20-30 and are now up to prob 100 or so. They are horrible looking as some have blistered or scabbed and popped. She complains of them hurting and itching. I would like to try the ACV but scared it will burn her. I have recently started using the tea tree oil and it seems to be helping. I noticed after using it once there were a few that blistered and popped and scabbed up. This stuff is a nightmare!!!!!! I will try the ACV and see what happens! Thank you all for the advice :)
Tea Tree Oil
Tea trea oil is very effective for MC; just get a bottle from a health food store or a grocery store, use a Q-tip to dab a little on the spot, and wait for it to die. This doesn't smell as bad as ACV and it doesn't irritate the skin as much, but be sure to avoid applying too often or your skin might get inflamed.
(Pendleton, Or, Usa)
01/19/2011
My todler had a bad case of MC that started on his side and ended up with small patches of papules on his arm, leg, and shoulder. The patches seemed to be spreading because of him scratching/rubbing the spots. Tea Tree has been the best cure that I have found, but undiluted was a little strong for my toddler and caused dry patches around the spots, which he would scratch until they bled.
But I ended up finding a PERFECT gentle face soap with tea tree in it as a main ingredient - it is inexpensive and we have been using it as his all-over body wash because it is so gentle. His spots got a little red, then started to flaten out and scab over, and are healing up great now!
The soap is Desert Essense Thoroughly Clean face wash, you can by a 32 oz bottle for about 15 bucks and we dilute it by half when we use it - very inexpensive and doesn't irritate sensitive skin even though it has a lot of organic Tea Tree in it. And it is really working!
(La, Ca)
01/27/2011
★★★★★
I had Mollesum Contagiosum for close to a year! I didn't have insurance so I went to a free clinic to get the leisions checked out at first. The doctor there said to leave them alone and they would go away. She put a little bit of acid on the head of the 2 bumps that I had on my privates. She was sure that would be enough to help them on their way. SHE WAS WRONG. I left them alone and didn't shave. A couple months later I noticed new bumps! I was disgusted, frustrated and freaked out so I went to a new doctor and she had way more information. She prescribed me some Aldara and was sure that within 3 months they would go away. I was dilligent about applying the creme 3 times a week just like prescribed. After about 6 weeks I didn't see much of a difference. By this point I had insurance again so I went to my normal doctor. He urged me to get them surgically removed by a dermetologist (it just so happens that his wife is a dermatologist). I told him that I had been prescribed Aldara and he seemed VERY pessimistic about that working. I said I would wait the 3 months and give him a call if it didn't work. I started feeling sick.. like I was on the brink of a cold only I felt like this for days/weeks. I read about Aldara online and saw all sorts of horror stories so I quit using it altogether plus it wasn't working! I made an appointment with the dermatologist but had to wait 2 weeks for an opening. The procedure was $150 but they couldn't guarantee that the leisions would go away with one treatment. It was then that I started to research "home cures" online. THANK GOD for Apple Cider Vinegar! My god did it work!
This is what I did:
I would pour a little bit of ACV on the cap (just enough to cover the bottom)
Then I would dab a cotton ball in ACV (In the beginning I would drench the cotton ball but this left me and my bed smelling like vinegar so I needed a new option)
I would brush the cotton ball over the bump and then apply 2 bandaids to safely secure the cotton ball to my skin.
I would leave this on for 24 hours (at least) without touching them!
Then I would take them off and take a shower with some Tea Tree oil soap that I got from Trader Joe's (they have both bars of soap and liquid form)
Then I would repeat
noticed immediate results within days! The leisions started to get red and then eventually dry out and become some dark color. I kept doing the ACV until it looked like it was scabbing over then I would dab some Neosporin and place a little square bandage over them.
I am still in the process of applying Neosporin as I learned my lesson from not applying Neosporin on a leision that I had on my forearm and now it looks as if I will have that scar there as a constant reminder. But for the most part, I am done with this nasty little chapter in my life! :) Being contagious and quarantined (if you know what I mean) was the worst part of this whole ordeal! Lol
PS: I also tried using tea tree oil for a few days but I couldn't stand the smell and it didn't seem to work as fast as ACV.
(Monroe, Mi)
03/20/2011
★★★★★
My son is 5 and has MC. I waited it out a couple of months because I was told it was best to just leave them alone. Then they really started to spread, so I pulled one of my favorite tricks out of the bag; liquid bandage. I like both the spray and the brush on, but in this case I used the brush on because it dries quicker. It has tea tree oil in it, and I add a couple more drops just to "boost" it. The liquid bandage (much like nail polish) will seal it, keep it dry, and keep it from spreading. Takes a few days using this method but it does work.
Alternatively, I squeezed the waxy core out of a few of them and then used the spray bandage. Those scabbed over faster then the ones I just used the brush on bandage on, but it took longer for the scab to heal and, well, it's not easy to convince a 5 year old to let you squeeze his bumps. The brush on was easier in the long run.
(Austin, Tx Us)
04/14/2011
Im sitting at the computer, half of my body wrapped in Apple Cider Vinegar soaked paper towels, under Saran Wrap taped up with Duct Tape.
Ive had MC for about 7 months, it has slowly spread from my elbows first to my knees, where I rest my elbows and to my lower back, I think from scratching.
Ive tried the Z-derm with no luck, tried Tea Tree oil, nothing. So finally I got really tired of these bumps and yesterday tried a couple different things.
With some bumps I used a shaving razor to cut the bumps heads off, soaked the razor in straight bleach while doing so, and then dabbed undiluted bleach on them for a while. The others I didnt use the razor but then wrapped myself in paper towels and Apple Cider Vinegar, then saran wrap over that and taped it up. I left it for 10 hours.
What I found was that some of the un-razored bumps were more red and raised, only about 3 of Im guessing 200 bumps turned black. BUT the ones that I had razored off were all black.
Today I got the razor and bleach out, spend an hour shaving them all down. Blood was pouring out everywhere but I kept swabbing with the bleach until I had them all cut. Then I used the AC Vinegar again and wrapped up like a mummy. This was about 3 hours ago and while it stings terribly, I can see theyre turning black.
I suppose the AC Vinegar works, but with my case it took removing some of the top layers of skin for it to get in there.
(Somewhere, In Europa)
05/09/2011
★★★★☆
After reading everything I could possibly find on the internet about MC, I finally decided it would be worth trying the ACV trick for my MC. It definitely seems to have worked for me. Everything seems cleared up about a week and a half after I started to treat myself.
I thought I had folliculitis, as some of you did. I only had a few bumps that seemed to come and go over a period of a few months. I completely sympathize with those of you who are really stressed out about it!
I thought I'd share a few hints that I found to help me treat MC around my genitals.
First, DO NOT SHAVE your genital area if you suspect that you have MC. You will self-innocculate yourself further.
Second, I found that I did not have to bandage the bumps. I tried with most of them, but either the ACV dissolved the adhesive in the bandage, or the bandages wouldn't stick due to the nature of the male anatomy! The only thing I found to work were water proof bandages (which do not come off for a few days no matter what you do! I don't recommend them for your genitals!! ) or a spray skin adhesive. I live in Europe and I don't recall ever seeing those products in the USA.. but worth a look if you must.
Third, I would wash, or shower before popping the bumps. I sterilized the bump with either ACV or rubbing alcohol before I popped the white lump out. As soon as I got the lump out, using fingernails to push from under the lump, or extracting with the fingernails, I put a soaked cotton pad over the opening. (It will bleed for a bit and the ACV turns the blood brown.)
I popped as many as I could find in one afternoon and treated them. After, I thoroughly swabbed/soaked the area with ACV and let it sit for a few minutes to let it air dry.
Use several swabs, and dab the ACV when applying over an area. I think I would use a spray bottle next time. I think it might be a good way to prevent spreading it around by touch??
4th, WASH your hands!! I had a few spread to my chest and thigh while I was treating myself, but they too disappeared quickly. Change your underwear often.. twice a day or so.
5th, I applied the ACV in the morning, afternoon and again before bed.
6th, I have somewhat sensitive skin, but the ACV did not bother me (using 5%). However, I had one or two spots that were quite sensitive. I started to think that maybe I had herpes too! But I stopped applying the ACV to them and they cleared up within a day. I think the ACV was burning them.
I stopped applying the ACV about a week after I started. It's been 4 days since then and I can hardly even tell where the bumps were now. Just one or two that look like they might have been a pimple.
Lastly, I've also gotten myself tested for HIV and STI's.. MC is much more contagious than some STI's, and you can get it even if you're careful!
Thank you to everyone who has posted their hints. They helped me a lot!
Good health to you all.
(New York)
07/24/2011
★★★★☆
I was diagnosed with MC 5 days ago after having my first symptoms in mid-June. I tried the ACV first but have had much better results with the tea tree oil. I do find that I need to pop my bumps first and try to remove the white thread-like looking thing in the middle before covering it with the oil in order to get the bump to go away for good. If I do that, using a sterilized needle and pointy tweezers, then cover the bump with a piece of cotton soaked in tea tree oil for several hours, the bump will scab over fairly quickly and then I can pick off the scab a couple of days later--no more bump! I am also swabbing my infected area several times a day with the tea tree oil, and it has prevented my infection from spreading. It is quite hard on my skin, but I think I'm going to worry about healing my dry skin when this horrible bumps are gone. Good luck to everyone!
(Florence, Alabama)
08/10/2011
(Norfolk, Va)
09/20/2011
(London, United Kingdom)
09/20/2011
My experience with MC:
Noticed a couple of bumps in the pubic area and figured they were just pimples or maybe clogged pores as I'd done a couple of pretty big overnight dance parties. After a couple of days these 2 pores turned into about 20. I saw a doctor in London scared to all hell that it was Herpes or Genital warts and the doctor barely gave it a glance and said it was folliculitis, gave me a course of antibiotics and said to keep the area clean and dry.
I finished the antibiotics with no change, in fact the number of bumps seemed to have increased and now trailed up toward my belly button. I quickly made another appointment with a different doctor as I was then in a different country and that doctor after a really good look said it looks like MC and said it was pretty harmless and would clear up on its own however to speed it up he prescribed a dry scalp ointment which had salcylic acid in it.
The ointmint was terrible, really smelly and a dull orange colour. I tried it but it just wasn't practical.. also after the first night I noticed even more bumps some appearing on my chest and one on the tip of my penis.
I hit the net to find some answers and have come across a number of home cures. I'm not keen on popping the bumps as I'm worried this will scar. So instead I've purchased some tea tree oil and some Apple Cider Vinegar.
It's my first night trying this, I've dabbed 4 bumps with tea tree oil and placed a bandaid on, soaked a small part of tissue with APV and bandaided this on to another 4 bumps. In addition as I'm in a massive hurry for a miracle fix I've also dabbed all other visible bumps with APV and let it air dry.
Will see if there is any improvement tomorrow.
As to how I got this condition I'm not certain, I'm very careful with contraception and I have only had a couple of partners this year. Most recently was an ex girlfriend who stayed for a weekend, I didn't notice anything on her though but I guess if it was in early stages then maybe I wouldn't. The only other possibility would a girl who I stayed over with, we didn't have sex but hands went to places so I guess if this is as contagious as people say then that would be possible. What bugs me is that the doctor that diagnosed me with MC didn't mention anything about it being contagious.
Anyway I'll post up with my results tomorrow.
(London, United Kingdom)
09/20/2011
Well, no obvious change, it's possible that the tea tree oil ones now have a more obvious white core and the APV ones may not look so inflamed but this just could be the lighting I'm looking at. I've put tea tree oil on again as well as bandaiding a tissue soaked with APV again. Plan to by some make up removal pads as well as rubbing alcohol today.. Might even buy a needle just to see if that works on one. Bugger was really hoping for something obvious overnight.
(London, United Kingdom)
09/21/2011
Hmmm some changes today, Tea tree oil ones still pretty much the same though they do look a little more damaged than the untreated ones. The ACV ones (I think I wrote APV in my previous post) seem to have taken a bit of a brownish look to the tops of them. I did notice this time the Apple CIder VInegar actually kind of burnt a little.. Which I'm hoping is a good sign. I'm hoping the browning is the bumps dieing, I've repeated the ACV again soaking a tissue and bandaiding it on and its burning a little again. I've also repeated the dabbing of tea tree oil on the ones of been treating with just that. One more thing to note is that I thought I could see a couple coming up on my chest, I dabbed these with tea tree oil last night and they aren't so obvious now.. Maybe tea tree oil is only useful in their early stages. Well I'm going to have another look tonight and reapply. Fingers crossed!
(London, United Kingdom)
09/25/2011
Very depressing, it all looks terrible. The 6 I've been putting tea tree oil twice a day on do seem to be slowly changing, 2 in fact seem to be getting smaller. I've now applied the ACV on probably about 40 odd bumps, everything above the pubic hair. They've all gone white or black and then from there a dark angry red colour. The first patch I did I put ACV on for 3 days but I think this was too much as the skin is very red and sore. I'm now only putting the ACV on for either a day or a night which is enough to make the bump appear to die. Unfortunately it looks very bad now with 40 angry red/black bumps on my skin, I'm hoping now that these will just heal on their own, if anyone has some tips on speeding this up it would be greatly appreciated.
(Manchester, Uk)
09/27/2011
Apple Cider Vinegar - Molloscum Contagiosm
I do not know what to do, I am 23 years old and Have had molloscum for nearly 5years on my genitals!! I don't know how I got it as I never had sex with anyone, and I went to the derm when I was 19 and they just said they couldn't do anything and gave me an acid cream, which I used for 1 year to no avail. I now have a lot of them, and am frustrated. I can only apply the apple cider vinegar with a q -tip due to the area, but have seen no change at all.
I know I should probably go back to the dr but I am worried why my immune system is not fighting it off and that there is something really wrong. I just want a normal life, and possibly a sex life one day. I don't know what I did wrong to deserve this. I have other skin conditions too which I suspect interfere with my immune system and are maybe why it will not fight it off :(
(London, United Kingdom)
09/27/2011
Hi Jennuk, 5 years! Thats awful, I'm only coming up to 3 weeks now and I'm stressed out as it is, I can't imagine 5 years! I think maybe it is worth getting checked by your doctor again or if possible another doctor to get a second opinion, in my case I was wrongly diagnosed with Folliculitis by the first doctor I saw, it would probably be worth mentioning that you are worried about your immune system as I'm sure they'll be able to do a blood test to make sure that is running well. I know sometimes it seems easier to take the 'head in the sand' approach with these kind of issues but it really is best to know exactly where you stand before you deal with a problem. I'm making another appointment tomorrow with a different doctor (this one with a dermatology specialty) to get not only a third opinion but also to run past her the ACV and tea tree oil remedies I've been trying. A website that I found useful in addition to this is http://www.mazedude.com/molluscum.htm which is one blokes experience with molluscum with some tips to try.
As to your specific problem with the location of your molluscum I've read through a lot of websites and with Apple Cider Vinegar although most successes are with plastering some soaked cotton or tissue on to the molluscum overnight I've seen some posts, normally from parents who don't want to put their children through the pain of taking plasters off everyday, instead give their children baths with a cup or so of vinegar, perhaps thats something that might work for you.
The ACV plastering seems to be working for me. I've had to go two nights without doing any more as I was traveling but it looks like the break has given my skin a chance to heal with the inflammation on the scabs going down alot. Still too early to say if the bumps are gone or just hidden at the moment. Will have a better idea in the next day or so. Fingers crossed.
(London, Uk)
09/29/2011
Good news, it looks as if almost everything above the pubic hair line is in fact healing. What seems to be successful is soaking a small piece of tissue in Apple Cider Vinegar then taping it over each bump and leaving it overnight. This seems to be more successful if the seal is airtight so use plenty of tape. In the morning the bump will be white or an angry red, after a couple of days it will go an even angrier red and scab, after a couple more days they will settle down, the sore will dry and the scab will come off on its own and just leave a flat red patch of skin. This is where I'm at at the moment, at last count 85 bumps now pretty much all just red patches of irritated skin. There were 6 bumps that I had only been treating with tea tree oil, these seem to be getting smaller but it is taking an age, I might start treating these with ACV in the next couple of days as that seems the most effective. Tonight I'm now making moves to deal with the bumps in the pubic area, at an approximation there are about 50 bumps there. What I've done is soak a cotton makeup removal pad with ACV and duct taped it to a patch of bumps. Due to the area and the pubic hair in the way I've had to use a lot of tape almost circumnavigating my waist, I've made this as air tight as possible. Fingers crossed I'm going to wake up with some very damaged bumps, I'm finally feeling in control of this issue now, feeling much better about myself.
Just a couple of more notes on what I've been doing in addition which may or may not be helping. I've purchased some organic body wash with tea tree oil in it as well as some organic Aloe Vera moisturizer with Vitamin E. I'm washing the area with the body wash and I'm also trialing moisturising a small portion of the irritated red skin patches to see if they heal quicker than the non treated ones. I've also started taking some multivitamins which will hopefully up the immune system and speed up healing.
All I need now is this pubic area to react the same as everywhere else and I might just be on the road to being molluscum free.
(London, Uk)
09/30/2011
I'm now on to night two of the pubic area, I soaked one make up pad remover last night and duct taped it over a part of the pubic area, this morning the bumps were inflamed but probably not as much as the non pubic area ones. I'm thinking due to the pubic hair not as much ACV is getting into the bumps, I think this means I'm just going to have to do it more than just everynight. Tonight I have taped two makeup remover pads one over the area taped from last night.. This one I feel is now burning (not too bad) so I fugure its working. In addition I'm now also treating the ones I had previously treated with tea tree oil now with ACV and am also treating the odd bump on my chest which may or may not be the virus also. So basically right now I am stinking of cider and covered in black duct tape.. Not the greatest but necessary. The bumps already treated above the pubic line are healing up really well, still red and inflamed but I think this is gradually going.
(Lyndhurst, New Jersey)
10/01/2011
Hi guys Omg I know what you all are feeling! Don't know who or what or how I even got this demon virus. First let me start out by saying prayer works miracles I have this scum demon disease since Tuesday it is now Saturday and it's almost gone thank God! Yes I bought ACV guys but guess what the famous hydrogen peroxide does the trick but you must also apply lidocaine doctor prescribed with a cutip on each one then bandaid it and as hard as this to do forget about it till you are ready to shower. Urgent! throw out everything you touch during this nitemare- soaps, razors, toiletry cutips, whatever because this is the demon scum disease and God will Banish it forever just believe... I've read so many people on here have been fighting this for long time I have made sure that this demon scum left my skin in 4 days... Remember, first pray, then hydrogen peroxide which does burn a little but then again, this virus is the devil so naturally it will burn, ha ha! but true and then lidicaine doctor prescribed it's only 23.00 and cutips and you are on your way to Gods Healing! :D
(London, Uk)
10/03/2011
Well things are progressing through trial and error. I've found that using bandaids in the pubic hair area doesn't work as the hair prevents the ACV soaked tissue from pressing agains the bumps. I then tried long pieces of duct tape circum navigating my hips, this worked however I have since found the skin on my hips is overly sensitive to duct tape so have broken out in welts where the tape was secured. What I've done now is trim the pubic hair using an electric razor being careful not to hit any bumps as this will spread the infection, so now with the hair a little shorter band aids are more effective and in places that they aren't I'm using regular sellotape to hold the soaked tissue on.
I'm very happy to say all those very angry bumps which I posted about on the 25/9 are now almost entirely healed, thats some 40 bumps gone now leaving just a slight red pigmentation which is getting less everyday. On the 30/9 I started treating my tea tree oil bumps now exclusively with ACV and they are now the very angry red scabs which should be fully healed in about a week.
As for the pubic area after a bit of a trim I could see there were approximately 90 bumps, after a good amount of ACV soaking the majority of these appear red and swollen with a few with black scabs. What I'm doing now is evey morning and evening before my showers (its a good idea to shower twice a day here) is see if there are any bumps that don't look like they are dieing and hit them again with tissue soaked with ACV sellotaped to them and leave that overnight or during the majority of the day until the tissue dries out. One thing that I must say is important is if the burning gets actually painful I would suggest removing the soaked tissue, twice now I've just left it and it leaves quite an inflammed mess, the most recent one looks like it could scar but fingers crossed it won't.
Feeling really positive now, I think I'm through the worst of it and I'm just needing my body's immune system to do the rest.
(Va)
10/11/2011
Hi All, Just a few tips I've learned from treating my daughter a few months ago. She had MC that was spreading rapidly. For smaller bumps use the cotton off of a q-tip and tear it into even smaller pieces if required. (you don't want to burn the skin around the bump so you just need enough cotton to cover the bump). If you use the q-tip cotton it will be small enough to also use a small waterproof bandaid. I found many varities at CVS or Walgreens. In order to avoid scarring (which happened during our first round of treatment) just try to cover the bump for two nights and then take a break. Most times that is enough and the bump will disapear into a small scab within a few days. The smaller the cotton, the smaller the scab. My daughter is very sensitive to pain and discomfort and this went so smoothly - no crying at all. We are now MC free and so relieved! Also, I only used organic ACV which I read worked better. I found it at Whole Foods. Good Luck!
(Atlanta, Georgia)
12/21/2011
★★★★★
Our young son broke out with Molluscum Contagiosum bumps on his torso. The Dr. said they were harmless and would go away. The problem was he would scratch the bumps and they would bleed. So we tried tea tree oil which we purchased at CVS for not a lot of money. Worked like a charm.
Like others have posted, we dipped the tip of a Q-Tip in the tea tree oil and gently and carefully touched the Q-Tip to the bump for just a second. We did this every night after his bath. The tea tree oil has a strong odor that he didn't enjoy but after a few weeks all was clear and we discontinued treatment. That was months ago and no problems since.
(Roanoke, Virginia)
01/27/2012
★★★★★
My ex boyfriend was diagnosed with MC and prescribed some expensive prescription cream. I am unemployed and cannot afford expensive doctor's appointments or treatment. Therefore, I searched the internet long and hard. I bought Tree Tea Oil at Walgreen's yesterday. After just two applications, the raised bumps with white heads are now pink and flat. I used a Q-tip to apply the oil to each bump and covered with bandaid. I've had MC for two months and this oil seems miraculous!
(Roanoke, Va)
01/28/2012
The significance of stating I purchased the tree tea oil at Walgreens is that it wasn't available at my local CVS and I was having a hard time locating, without purchasing on the internet. It is not to plug any store but rather the tree tea oil itself as it worked for me. Also, I tried the ACV and it didn't work for me. It just seems to be a trial and error exercise and each person will respond differently.
(Birmingham, Uk)
03/30/2012
Thank god for this site, as I've been distraught since my 6 year old daughter was diagnosed with MC this afternoon. I've never heard of this virus & I really hate it. She has four spots on the back of her leg, 2 small, the other 2 quite enlarged with one of the spots having a scab-but I think this may be due to it being scratched. My GP has recommended no treatment as it is considered too invasive, but I'm fearful that these will eventually spread & she'll end up with a large amount, which I really don't want for her. Tonight I have used a Q-tip with Tea Tree oil as I have this available in the home & tomorrow I will be off out to buy ACV & will be starting the treatment asap. Fingers crossed this course of action will work, without a further breakout. Thanks to everyone who's posted with advice, totally invaluable to me. I'll be back to let you know how treatment works.
(Alberta, Canada)
10/16/2012
Hey, so I was told I had folliculitis at first and tried the cream they gave me but it didnt seem to help. I decided to get a second opinion and was told it was mulluscom. I went to this site and read all the info. about Apple Cider Vinegar and even though I was skeptical I decided to try it. I soaked cotton balls in it and duct taped them to my legs and genital area over night.. Had about 10 bumps. Woke up the next day and they were completely black!!! I was shocked!! I repeated this cycle and they all scabbed and began healing in a week!
Please, if you are skeptical, before you buy the expensive creams/lotions/harsh wart solutions, please try this! You have nothing to lose! Make sure to buy the organic acv, that worked best for me! For those of you on here who say it's not an std, I am curious why you think that because everywhere on the internet is scareing the hell out of me saying it is an std and that something is wrong with my immune system in order to catch this. I do not sleep around but havnt been perfect in my lifetime! I am really depressed and worried about that, any reassurance would help! Thank you so much for all the posts!
(Cardiff, Wales)
10/17/2012
Go get tested instead of letting paranoia rule your life xxxxxxxxxx I am an expert at para!!! Lol xxxxxx But if you can get a test done, if not carry on with what your doing, it's working xx And don't read too much on the web man!!! It freaks me out as well then I gotta shout at myself for letting my brain run away!! Lol xxxxxxxx Love Andrea c xxxxxxxxx
Thuja Occidentalis
★★★★★
Our daughter has had persistent MC for a couple of years - not a huge outbreak but several spots that just stayed, with new spots coming up and some of them getting horribly inflamed when they were in pressure points like the back of the legs. I won't say we'd tried everything, but we did go through tea tree oil, vinegar, clove oil, and something the allopathic skin specialist gave us off-label.
None of those had any impact at all. It was awful when a spot would get infected and we'd try to open it so it could heal - just traumatic and painful and certainly no solution and then other spots would come up near the old spot even when we thought we'd been careful. She started getting a couple on her neck and face - visible and embarrassing.
I'm VERY glad I finally bought a bottle of topical treatment with thuja and Chelidonium (Greater Celandine). I really had no particular confidence in it, after everything. But regular application over a couple of months has made the spots change, and when they swelled, they had a dark core inside and they actually broke and scabbed and healed. She has no more active spots now, as no new ones are appearing. I can't describe my relief! Hope this helps someone else.
Thuja Occidentalis
★★★★★
I just wanted to share what I have found to work the best for me in this seemingly endless battle with mc. I know how frustrating it is and how desperately you search for answers. So I hope that I can help many of you but even if one person is helped I will be happy. I tried many of the remedies, which seemed as though they may be working only to have new colonies develop just when I thought the old ones were almost gone.. I tried ACV, silver, grapefruit seed extract internally and topically and tea tree oil topically. I fought for nearly 2 months with no true progress, one step forward was always followed by 2 steps back. If this pattern continued it could take months if not years to get rid of it. That is not an option, I need my life back!! I was getting very frustrated with all the time I was spending treating and cleaning up so my family would not get it not to mention all the time researching for the best cure. Molluscum was consuming my life. I researched and researched desperate for a better way.
If you want to end this battle you need to try thuja occidentalis immediately. It is a homeopathic remedy you can get at the health food/supplement store. I use the 30c. It is only about $6 a bottle. I may need to buy a few bottles, but it will definitely be worth it if I can be mc free. Adults take 5 sugar tabs 3 times a day according to the bottle, not sure what the children's dose is. But they are very easy you just let the little sugar tabs melt in your mouth. How easy is that?? I have been taking them for 8 days now. Any bumps I had are clearly drying up and disappearing. There have been no new colonies develop. This is the one remedy I have seen this much progress with. The progress I am having makes me very hopeful I will be mc free very soon. I will post when I am bump free because I know how hopeless it can feel. I encourage you to do your own research to determine if this is an appropriate option for you, it is definitely worth it.. I only wish I had known about this 2 months ago, I would have saved myself a lot of time and aggravation.
(Sydney)
06/01/2014
We had the same experience when our little boy caught molluscum at pre-school. We thought it was just a rash but it got worse and worse. After many months we took him to a medical specialist who suggested either minor surgery or just leave it and do nothing! ... and we paid her good money for the advice.
The problem with the advice from doctors to just leave it is that it is contagious. So then his little sister caught it followed by our new born. It wasn't long until my husband and I also caught it.
We understandably had had enough by this stage - late as it was. We researched the net and talk to our mothers in detail and it turns out that there is and has been a natural cure for molluscum bumps for decades. We used apple cider vinegar, clove oil and we covered them over. It took a while because by this stage the children had hundreds of bumps each but we got on top of these horrid little bumps.
