Mother Nature’s Approach to Molluscum

So many parents are wondering what can I do about Molluscum… is there a cure for Molluscum? Molloscum Contagiosum is a mild skin virus that causes crops of little white bumps on children’s skin – they generally start under the armpits or elbows, but can spread easily to the tummy, genitals, eyes and face. Kids can pick them up in public swimming pools and siblings pass them onto each other easily via towels and toys.

In most cases these little bumps disappear on their own within a year, and cause no problems at all, even if they are a little unsightly. They pop and look quite pink and raw just before they start to fade so many people start to worry that they are getting worse, when in fact they are on the way out. They tend to vanish one by one, the first molluscum often being the very last one to disappear.

I’ve seen parents’ attitudes to molluscum vary quite considerably – some just leave them and hope they will go on their own. One lad had them all over his eyes, which was really tough for him, but his parents decided not to intervene, and they did go away eventually. One other parent freaked out so much, her son refused to wear any clothes other than a superhero green tracksuit until they were gone (he wore it to protect him from further “harm”). They ended up spending over £10k on a private doctor to anaesthetise him and pop every single one individually! But unfortunately, the medical world does not have any conclusive answers.

Problems arise because sometimes kids can pick at the spots and they can get infected. It can also be really tough if it gets into itchy/rashy skin. Sometimes it simply doesn’t go away on its own, and this is a sign that the child’s immunity is a little compromised and needs extra support.

So what can you do to help?
Firstly, a combination of aloe vera gel and colloidal silver can make a lovely cooling affect on the spots and are both anti-inflammatory and anti-viral. Dab this gel duo on twice daily until they have gone. Some people use tea tree oil diluted into olive oil instead and dab it on the spots with a cotton bud, but this can sting a little. Others have reported that dabbing apple cider vinegar on the molluscum spots can really help too.

Elderberry syrup or gummies have antiviral properties, which may help bring down the overall viral load in the body, and in turn could help to dial down the affect of the virus on the skin. This anecdotally seems to be helpful if a child seems generally run down or the spots are taking a long time to dissipate.

Some people use thuja cream, but that is not something I have used myself as I am not a homeopath.

Like nits and worms, molluscum seems to be part of the rite of passage of childhood these days, but some kids get them worse than others, so I hope my tips make things easier for you and your children.

Reference

Interventions for cutaneous molluscum contagiosum