Skin Forum - Mulluscum Contagiosum (mcv) Information And Treament

Hi, I am a 23 year old Male recently diagnosed with MCV. I noticed it about a month or so ago and did some research. I suspected mulluscum, so I saw a dermatologist and he confirmed.

I've done an extensive amount of research online and was a bit disappointed by the lack of really solid and complete information on this virus. I've basically outlined a good deal about this virus from the various sources I've read, and from some personal experience.

From what I gather, this is a common infection among children, however it is also fairly common among adults and is often related to sexual contact. Mulluscum is not however strictly an STD, the abdomen (where mine are) is a common location for the infection to appear.

I know mine were not sexually transmitted as my only partner of 2 years shows no signs of mulluscum. The extent to which it is contagious is not well documented and there is much conflicting information. It can conceivably be transmitted through saliva similar to a cold, but it is rare. Most commonly they think it is transmitted through physical skin to skin contact... Swimming pools seem to also be a carrier. I suspect this is where mine came from, a heavily used public swimming pool likely not treated with enough chlorine. It can spread to others through shared towels or clothing.

Mullusucm is a member of the Poxvirus family, it is a benign condition in all but extreme cases and often goes untreated. There are dozens of treatment options available but left alone the condition usually clear on its own within 6-12 months. Mulluscum can be hard to contain and seems to spread fairly easily, thus treatment is often desired.

Treatment options:

various surgical methods of removing them individually exist, but that seems extreme for me.

freezing: a doctor will freeze them off like a wart, this can be painful but most people report little to no scarring and can be effective.

chemical burn: some MDs will burn them chemically causing the virus inside to die.

Needle tactic: slice them open with a needle and pull out the center core. It can be difficult to be sure you've gotten the entire core and I would be concerned about spreading.

various topical drugs are available as well. My dermatologist prescribed me Aldara, which is a immune modifier that you apply to the area of infection. it essentially alerts your immune system that there is a problem in the area by a complicated release of chemicals.

I've been using Aldara for about two weeks, but it is no miracle drug and takes time to work.

I've discovered some more at home treatments that I've been doing which seem the most effective thus far.

Applying Apple Cider Vinegar via a compress is super effective at killing the established ones. Soak a cotton ball in Apple Cider Vinegar (raw is best), place it on the area of infection and tape it there with medical tape. if the infected area is large you can use a cotton pad, they make large ones for compresses. if nothing else, unbleached paper towels will work. They suggest you leave it on for 24 hours, though I have just been doing it overnight.

In the morning the mulluscum will be larger and red, and some of them will be black on top, especially the big ones. This is essentially what they look like after burning them, or freezing them (which is really just burning them). The virus inside will be dead and the lesion will scab and begin to heal. They get inflamed as they are healing, and the black may turn to white which will scab and fall off. A textured body scrub can be used in the shower, but be super careful to wash again after... you want to get the dead skin off, but avoid spreading. A soap with Salicylic acid is a good option for washing the infected area, as apparently it is destructive to the virus.

I started with about 30 or more of these and after using that trick 3 nights most of them were dead and are now scabbed over and healing.

Apple Cider Vinegar can be a little rough on your skin, so I would recommend trying a test area first, or only doing a little at first. Also, it will be painful or irritating on any open sores, and will keep the ones already scabbed over from healing.

You may experience some irritation (itching or mild burning) while doing the compress, but this is normal. Apple Cider Vinegar (raw) is actually quite good for your skin and is used for other cosmetic purposes.

This method is a little less effective on the little ones. I still have about 10 little tiny ones not much bigger then a pinhead. These may be the second crop, or just very small and I didn't notice them before. For these I have used a sterile needle dipped in iodine (betadine) to puncture them from the top/side (about 45 degree angle) and cut through the top of the lesion (right through the dimple).

This needle technique was referenced by a dermatologist on an archived MVC discussion board for MDs. I would be concerned to use this method alone without trying to remove the core, as it seems to me that would risk spreading, but the MD had success with the treatment and no other MDs contradicted it.

A few of the smaller ones were easy to just scrape right off with the needle (an option your doctor will mention). And I removed the core from a few, but didn't worry about digging it out of most of them.

So after opening the very small ones, I have again applied a compress of Apple Cider Vinegar. I am hoping that by opening the tops of these (which may in itself be effective) that the Apple Cider Vinegar will be able to penetrate to the core.

Ultimately this is a virus, and it just takes time for your immune system to fight it off. The best thing in addition to whichever treatment options you choose, is to make sure you are supporting your immune system.

Try to drink plenty of water.

You can take an Echinacea gel cap or tincture to help boost your immune system.

Try to eat right, try to avoid drinking alcohol... you know, all that stuff thats bad for you.

And most of all, try to relax and forget about it, stress is super hard on your immune system.

I hope someone has found this useful, as it can be stressful dealing with something like this especially when it is not well documented or treated.

I will post again with my progress, but it seems good.