Replied By Kendra (Richland, Wa) on 05/21/2011

I just wanted to vote YES for apple cider vinegar treating molluscum contagiosum. My 3 year old daughter had two flesh colored bumps on her left buttock that no cream I applied to would help. Unfortunately, we were busy with moving and Christmas, so it wasn't until 2 months later that it was diagnosed. The doctor made no big deal about it, and said it would go away on its own in months to years. Unfortunately, my daughter had itched open the bumps and my son and I had taken baths with her beforehand. We all ended up with molluscum, but I was able to treat all of my bumps and my 7 year old son's bumps with soaking in apple cider vinegar for 1-2 days. I would cut out a small piece of a cotton makeup remover pad and soak it in apple cider vinegar, remove the excess liquid and put it on the bumps under a waterproof band-aid. I do have to say that I still have scars from this treatment, but it has only been a month or so.

My daughter's case has been much more difficult. Unfortunately, the dermatologist's receptionist recommended salicilic acid, so I tried that on my daughter which was very painful for her and turned her skin purple. I do not recommend this! Of course, her skin was too sensitive after that for apple cider vinegar, so I bought some colloidal silver water and salve that I am applying to her. I do give her baths with apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil, ravintasara oil, and lavendar oil. Every now and then I try to treat one of her bumps with apple cider vinegar, and the treatment works. My daughter sometimes cries and complains that it stings her, however, in which case I will take off the band-aid. We have also treated the bumps by popping them like a pimple, and then washing thoroughly with alcohol. She cries for this, too, because it hurts. Needless to say, it is taking longer for her bumps to go away, but things are much better and are mostly confined to her left buttock, although she did have bumps on her legs, stomach, back, and chest. It has been 6 months since I initially saw the original bumps on her butt.

I should also mention that we do not share towels or clothes now. We do not bathe together anymore. We use a towel or wash cloth once and then it is laundered. The same goes for clothes. Everything is laundered using the "sanitary" cycle (hot water) in my wash machine. I have removed all hand towels in the bathrooms and replaced them with paper towels. I am using tea tree oil soap, colloidal silver shampoo, colloidal silver water spray, colloidal silver lotion and salve when needed. I also mix olive oil with tea tree oil, raventasara oil, and lavendar oil as a moisturizer. My husband has not contracted this virus (thank God).

I read a pediatric journal study using Tagamet to succesfully treat molluscum, but this did not work for my children. Apparently this treatment may only work for atopic children.

We also took thuja occidentalis, but I did not notice any improvement afterwards.

My bumps were very itchy, so I would use a Q-tip dipped in silver salve to "itch" the bumps - especially those I thought I had on my scalp and ears. Of course I threw it away once I had used both sides of the Q-tip.

I appreciate this website so very much. I use it now all the time!

Thanks, Kendra

Replied By Bon (Midland, Ga) on 09/10/2011