Why this question stayed with me for so long

I had molluscum for about two years. During that time I sat in the same dermatologist’s office so often that at some point I felt like a permanent patient. On top of that came appointments with other doctors. I tried creams and applied solutions, and at every appointment someone counted how many new spots had appeared. None of it worked for me.

My skin was often very red during that time. Whether that came from the molluscum or from all the treatments, I still can’t say. I only know that at some point I mainly wished for one thing: for all of it to simply be gone.

So I understand anyone who types “molluscum removal” or “get rid of molluscum” into a search engine. You won’t find instructions here, I’m not a doctor. I write down what I read in reputable sources about the options, so that you can go into a conversation with your doctor better prepared.

Does molluscum need to be removed at all?

That was the most surprising thing for me. The NHS writes that treatment is rarely needed because molluscum usually clears up on its own. The American Academy of Dermatology, the professional association of dermatologists in the US, also writes that molluscum doesn’t always need treatment.

On gesund.bund.de, the health portal of the German Federal Ministry of Health, I read that waiting is often the usual approach and that the bumps frequently disappear on their own after six to twelve months. It also says that treatment doesn’t always work and can have side effects such as inflammation or scarring.

There are, however, situations in which the sources are more likely to consider treatment. They mention, for example:

  • spots in the genital area, according to gesund.bund.de also to avoid passing them on to partners,
  • a severely weakened immune system, in which molluscum can be more pronounced,
  • a very large number of spots or a heavy burden in everyday life.

Only a doctor can judge which situation applies to you. What I read about seeing a doctor is in the article Seeing a doctor about molluscum: GP or dermatologist?.

Which methods I found in the sources

While reading, I kept coming across the same options. All of them are carried out in a practice or prescribed by a doctor. I only pass on how the sources describe them.

Scraping off with a curette (curettage). The American Academy of Dermatology describes that the bumps are removed from the skin with a medical instrument called a curette. According to this source, it is usually only done in older children, teenagers and adults.

Freezing (cryotherapy). Here the spot is treated with intense cold. Gesund.bund.de names freezing as one option for molluscum in the genital area. In a British sexual health guideline I read that freezing can be offered there as a single treatment, but that weekly repeated courses are not intended.

Solutions applied in the practice. The American Academy of Dermatology describes a solution containing the active ingredient cantharidin, which is approved in the US and should only be applied in a doctor’s office. What I read about the new US approvals is in the article New treatments for molluscum?.

Creams and solutions to apply. Here a Cochrane review from 2017 made me think. It evaluated 22 studies and concluded that none of the treatments examined was convincingly effective. One frequently studied ingredient to apply worked no better than a product without an active ingredient, but caused more skin irritation.

That was an important sentence for me. It explains why I could try so many things without anything changing. From what we know today, there doesn’t seem to be one remedy that works for everyone.

Pain, scarring and irritated skin

From what I read, choosing a method always means weighing up side effects too. A review article from 2025 says that existing procedures such as freezing and curettage are often associated with pain and inconvenience, which is why many people stop treatment. Gesund.bund.de names inflammation and scarring as possible side effects.

I also found a retrospective study from the US from 2025 interesting. Among the people surveyed, molluscum lasted eight and a half months on average with treatment and just under ten months without. The researchers found no clear difference. Of those without treatment, almost a quarter reported scars or changes in skin colour. The study is small, but it shows me: waiting doesn’t always leave no trace either, and treatment isn’t automatically faster.

When I think back to my own, often very red skin, I understand this trade-off better today than I did back then. Back then, I just wanted it to stop.

Squeezing molluscum yourself? The sources advise against it

Anyone who searches for “squeezing molluscum” finds plenty of tips from forums. In reputable sources I read the opposite: the NHS explicitly advises against squeezing or scratching the bumps, because the skin can become infected and scars can form. The American Academy of Dermatology also advises not to scratch or pick at the spots.

On top of that, the virus can spread to other areas of skin through scratching and rubbing. What I read about that is in the article Why does molluscum spread on your own body?.

Common questions about removal

Can you remove molluscum yourself? From everything I read, no. The methods in the sources belong in a doctor’s hands, and the NHS and AAD advise against squeezing.

Does removal hurt? A review article from 2025 describes freezing and curettage as often painful and inconvenient. How it feels in an individual case, and what can be done about it, is a question for the practice.

How long does it take for molluscum to go away? The figures range from a few months to several years. What I read about it is in the article How long does molluscum last?.

Can molluscum come back after removal? New spots can appear even after treatment, for example from an infection that happened some time ago. More on this in the article Can molluscum come back?.

What I take away from this

Looking back on those two years today, I would have liked to know these points much earlier: that waiting is a real option, that every method has pros and cons, and that there is no single remedy for everyone. That would have taken a lot of pressure off me.

For me, after about two years, nothing was visible any more. Was it coincidence? I don’t know. How it came to that, I tell in my story.