The constant up and down
In my two years with molluscum, I applied creams and liquids, disinfected and kept my towels separate. Individual spots got better, and sometimes I hoped that was the end of it. Then new ones appeared somewhere else.
For me, this up and down was almost worse than the spots themselves. Every new spot raised the same questions: Has it come back now? Did I do something wrong? Will this ever stop?
What “coming back” can mean
While reading, I noticed that the words “coming back” can mean quite different things. New spots while others are still there. New spots shortly after everything seemed gone. Or a new infection long after everything has healed.
I can’t judge which of these applies in any individual case. That belongs in a conversation with a doctor. But I can write down what I found about it in reputable sources.
And I learned something else while reading: not every new bump has to be molluscum at all. Molluscum can be mistaken for other skin changes. That is another reason why a new or unusual spot belongs in a doctor’s hands. There is more about this in the article Molluscum or something else?.
Why new spots can appear during the course
In the sources, I came across two explanations for why new bumps can keep appearing during the course.
The first is the incubation period. According to DermNet, there are often about two weeks between infection and a visible bump, but it can be as long as six months. So a new spot can go back to an infection that happened quite a while ago.
The second is self-infection. The American Academy of Dermatology writes that scratching and picking at the bumps can spread the virus to other parts of the body, and so can shaving over affected areas. There is more about this in the article Why molluscum spreads on your own body.
Both helped me understand why new spots kept appearing for me. And why a new spot doesn’t automatically mean that everything is starting all over again.
How long it lasts matters too. The CDC writes that the bumps usually go away within six to twelve months, but that it can also take longer. My dermatologist told me back then that six to 18 months or even longer was not unusual. So a long course with new spots again and again does happen, even if it feels very different.
Can you catch it again?
I found a clear statement from the US health agency CDC: you can catch molluscum more than once in your lifetime if you are around someone who has it.
The routes are the same as the first time: skin contact with someone who has it, or objects and surfaces they have touched. That is how the CDC describes it.
I find this statement honest. It means there is no guarantee of never having it again once it has healed. I didn’t find any figures in my sources on how likely it is to catch it again.
When spots change before healing
One point that can be confusing when it comes to “coming back”: molluscum spots can turn red or become inflamed shortly before they heal, called the “BOTE sign” (“beginning of the end”) in a case report from 2025. But inflammation can also have other causes and, from everything I have read, should be checked by a doctor.
My fear of it coming back
In the worst phase, I was afraid that the molluscum would keep coming back through my own laundry. So I spent several hundred euros on new underwear, other laundry and clothes. New spots appeared anyway. There is more about this in the article What molluscum cost me.
In the second year there were more doctor visits and more attempts. At some point, above all, I was tired: of checking, four or five times a day, of hoping, of being disappointed. In the end, I even did immune-support courses, in the hope that my body would fight the virus better.
And after the end?
After two years it was over for me, and since the end no new spots have appeared for almost a year. Was it coincidence? I don’t know. Whether it stays that way, I can’t know either.
I can only tell my own story here, not predict how it will be for others. What I read: catching it again is possible. If new spots appear and you are unsure what they mean, a conversation with a doctor can bring clarity.
How it came about, I tell in my story.