Molluscum Contagiosum (photo courtesy of AAD)
If you’re a parent, you have probably seen molluscum contagiosum. Most of our kids have had them at one time or another. Molluscum are shiny, umbilicated (having a little central dell) bumps that are common in kids. Often confused with warts, MC is caused by a virus that is usually passed from skin-to-skin contact. They’re not dangerous and if left alone, they may go away with time. However, we like to treat them so that they don’t increase in number or spread to others.
We usually treat molluscum using cantharidin, the extract of the blister beetle commonly referred to as “beetle juice”—kids love the name and they also love that it is painless. We drop a little bit on each lesion and hope to get a mild reaction (maybe even a blister). Over the next few days to weeks, the lesions may get a little irritated and hopefully fade away. We usually treat them at one month intervals until they are gone.
To schedule an appointment, please give us a call at 310.546.1188 or request an appointment online.
