There are three main groups that are affected by molluscum: include children, sexually active young adults, and those with compromised immune systems. One of the biggest reasons that people choose not to let this condition clear up on its own is if the lesions are located on or around their genitals and they want to continue being sexually active.
Visible lesions in the genital area may be an indication of another kind of sexually transmitted disease, so it’s important to get these lesions checked out by a doctor.
Transmission of the molluscum virus occurs through direct person-to-person contact or by touching an infected object. The virus lives inside the top layer of skin of the lesion (not inside your body), so researchers believe that contact with the material inside the lesions is what causes transmission of the disease.
It is never a good idea to try to remove a molluscum bump yourself. Doing so may cause the virus to spread, cause unnecessary pain, create a serious bacterial infection, or cause scarring that might have otherwise been avoided. Discussing your options with a doctor is important, especially since there are treatments advertised on the Internet to treat molluscum that do more harm than good.
This kind of treatment is often good at eliminating the top lesion itself. And since that is where the virus lives in the body, this can help get rid of the outbreaks altogether.
Again, do not consider doing this yourself. While it may sound easy to do, you might unintentionally infect other parts of your body with the lesion fluid or transmit it to others in the process. You could also cause a bacterial infection in the skin by scratching or scraping yourself.
This could also be an effective method of treatment for people with weakened immune systems.
The cream Imiquimod helps strengthen the skin’s immune system. This is sometimes used to treat the lesions. These creams do not always remove the bumps and they may be harmful. So be sure to consult with your doctor before using any of them.
Make sure to follow your doctor’s instructions for application.
Unfortunately, facial lesions don’t respond as well to this type of treatment as lesions in other parts of the body. As with most medicines, cimetidine may cause unwanted side effects such as headache, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, or depression. [10] X Research source
Widespread facial molluscum have become a common marker for severe HIV infection because the low CD4 cell counts in these types of patients create the perfect host environment for the molluscum virus.
This type of treatment often has severe side effects including flu-like symptoms, tenderness around the site of the lesion, depression, and lethargy.
