Molluscum contagiosum clears on its own in most people within 6 to 12 months, though it can persist for up to 4 years. Whether you choose to wait it out or actively treat it depends on how many bumps you have, where they are, and how quickly they’re spreading. Several effective treatments exist, ranging from a simple in-office procedure to topical products you apply at home.
Waiting It Out: When No Treatment Is Needed
Because molluscum is a self-limited viral infection, the immune system eventually recognizes and eliminates it without any intervention. For a child with a few small bumps on the trunk or limbs, watchful waiting is a reasonable approach. The bumps won’t scar on their own, and treating them can sometimes cause more discomfort than the infection itself.
That said, there are good reasons to treat rather than wait. If new bumps keep appearing, if they’re in visible or sensitive areas like the face or groin, or if scratching is leading to redness and irritation around the lesions, active treatment can shorten the course and reduce the chance of spreading. People with weakened immune systems often develop more widespread or persistent lesions and typically benefit from earlier, more aggressive treatment.
Cantharidin: The Most Common Office Treatment
Cantharidin is a topical solution applied directly to each bump by a healthcare provider. It’s the first FDA-cleared topical specifically indicated for molluscum in patients aged 2 and older. Your provider paints a thin layer of liquid onto each lesion during an office visit, lets it dry for up to five minutes, and sends you home. You wash it off with soap and water 24 hours later.
Over the next few days, a blister forms under each treated bump, lifting the infected skin away. Sessions are repeated every three weeks as needed until the bumps are gone. The treatment is popular for children because the application itself is painless, though the blistering that follows can cause soreness, redness, and swelling at each site. Some children also develop temporary skin lightening or darkening where the solution was applied. If severe blistering or pain develops before the 24-hour mark, you should wash the area early with soap and water. Treated spots should not be covered with bandages, and no other topical products should go on the area until after washing.
Potassium Hydroxide: A Home Topical Option
Potassium hydroxide (KOH) at a 10% concentration is one of the most widely used home treatments for molluscum. It works by chemically dissolving the surface of each bump, eventually causing it to break down and heal. You apply it directly to each lesion, typically once or twice daily, using a small applicator like a cotton swab or, as some dermatologists recommend, a fountain pen nib for precision.
The biggest risk with KOH is accidentally getting it on healthy skin, which causes irritation and can lead to dark or light spots that take weeks to fade. Coloring the solution with a dye like methylene blue makes it easier to see exactly where you’ve applied it, reducing the chance of staining surrounding skin. Application should be gentle, especially on children, and limited strictly to the surface of each bump.
Tea Tree Oil and Iodine Combination
A combination of tea tree oil and iodine applied topically has shown surprisingly strong results in children. In a published study in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 16 out of 19 children treated with this combination achieved greater than 90% reduction in the number of lesions. By comparison, only 1 of 16 children using iodine alone and 3 of 18 using tea tree oil alone hit the same threshold. The combination appears to work synergistically in a way that neither ingredient achieves on its own.
This is an accessible option since both products are available over the counter, but it’s worth noting that tea tree oil can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions in some people. Test a small area of unaffected skin first and stop if you notice a rash spreading beyond the treatment sites.
Curettage and Cryotherapy
For faster results, providers can physically remove molluscum bumps using curettage (scraping each bump off with a small, sharp instrument) or cryotherapy (freezing each bump with liquid nitrogen). Both methods destroy the infected tissue in a single visit, though multiple sessions may be needed if new bumps continue to appear.
These approaches work well for adults and older children who can tolerate the discomfort, but they’re harder to use on young kids. Curettage stings, and cryotherapy produces a brief burning sensation at each spot. Both can leave small scars or temporary pigment changes, particularly on darker skin tones. A numbing cream applied 30 to 60 minutes before the procedure can reduce the pain significantly.
Preventing Spread While You Treat
Molluscum spreads through direct skin contact and shared objects, and it also spreads across your own body when you touch or scratch a bump and then touch another area. This self-spreading, called autoinoculation, is the main reason a handful of bumps can turn into dozens over a few weeks. Preventing it is just as important as treating the bumps you already have.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends covering all visible bumps with clothing, waterproof bandages, or medical tape during school, work, and sports. Remove coverings at home when you won’t be around others, and take them off before bed to let the skin breathe. Wash your hands thoroughly every time you touch a bump, whether yours or your child’s.
Household hygiene matters too. Don’t share towels, washcloths, razors, bedding, or clothing. If your child has molluscum, bathe them separately from siblings using different washcloths, towels, and bath toys. Let them sleep alone until the bumps clear. For sports where a waterproof bandage is likely to come off, it’s best to pause the activity until the skin heals.
Choosing the Right Approach
The best treatment depends on the person’s age, the number and location of bumps, and tolerance for discomfort. For a young child with scattered bumps on the torso, cantharidin applied in the office every few weeks is often the go-to choice because the application itself doesn’t hurt. For a teenager or adult with a smaller number of lesions, cryotherapy or curettage can clear things up faster. Home treatments like KOH or the tea tree oil and iodine combination work best for people who are comfortable with daily applications and want to avoid office visits.
Regardless of which method you choose, new bumps can continue to appear for weeks after treatment begins. This doesn’t mean treatment is failing. It means the virus was already incubating in skin that looked normal. Most people need several rounds of treatment before the infection fully resolves, and combining active treatment with consistent prevention measures gives the fastest overall results.