Molluscum Contagiosum Removal Adults: Treatment Options St Albans

What Molluscum Contagiosum Is

Molluscum contagiosum is a skin infection caused by a poxvirus. It produces clusters of small (1–5 mm), firm, pearly or flesh-coloured domes, each with a tiny dimple or pit in the centre — the single most recognisable feature. They’re usually painless, though they can itch or become red and inflamed, especially as the body starts to clear them. In adults they commonly appear on the trunk, in the folds of the body, the lower abdomen, inner thighs and genital area. Molluscum is harmless and self-limiting, but it’s persistent and contagious, which is why many adults choose to have it treated rather than wait it out.

Molluscum vs a Wart

These two are constantly mixed up, but they’re different infections that behave and are treated differently:

• Cause: molluscum is a poxvirus; a wart is caused by HPV.
• Look: molluscum is smooth, pearly and dome-shaped with a central dimple; a wart is rough, grainy and often has tiny black dots.
• Feel: molluscum is soft and smooth; a wart is firm and rough to the touch.

Telling them apart matters because the treatments differ, and a quick professional look settles it — the same principle applies to distinguishing warts from skin tags.

How Adults Catch It

Molluscum spreads by direct skin-to-skin contact and via shared items such as towels, and it can be moved around your own skin by scratching (autoinoculation). In adults it is often, but not always, spread through sexual contact when it affects the genital area and lower abdomen — which is understandably a source of worry, though it’s a harmless infection, not one of the serious STIs. It’s also common in people with eczema or reduced immunity, where it can be more widespread. Warm, moist skin and close contact (gyms, contact sports, shared towels) all make transmission easier.

Removal Methods and Cost

In adults, molluscum responds well to a quick physical treatment, usually completed in a single session:

• Curettage — the small domes are lifted away with a fine curette; quick and effective.
• Light cautery — a fine heated tip treats the lesions, sealing as it goes.

Both are done under local anaesthetic, and treatment starts from £300 (with a £100 consultation). Because molluscum often comes in crops, occasionally a short follow-up is needed if new spots appear while your immune system catches up. Aftercare is simple — keep the areas clean, don’t scratch, and let them heal. Book a consultation or call 0203 916 6200.

What If It’s Left Untreated?

Molluscum is not dangerous, and in many people it clears on its own as the immune system recognises the virus — though in adults this can take many months, sometimes over a year, and new spots often appear in the meantime. Leaving it is a reasonable choice if the spots aren’t bothering you. The trade-offs are that it can spread (to you and to others), the spots can become inflamed or occasionally scar if picked, and in a visible or genital area many people simply prefer not to wait. Treatment shortens the story and reduces onward spread.

Stopping It Spreading

A few simple habits limit spread while molluscum clears or is being treated: don’t scratch or squeeze the spots (this is the main way it multiplies and can scar); keep them covered where practical; use your own towel and don’t share it; avoid close skin contact and shared equipment at the gym or in contact sports over active spots; and moisturise dry or eczema-prone skin to keep the barrier intact. If the genital area is affected, avoid sexual contact over active lesions and consider a general sexual-health check for reassurance.

Your Questions, Answered

Is molluscum contagiosum a wart?

No. It’s caused by a poxvirus, not HPV, so it isn’t a wart. It looks different too — smooth, pearly domes with a central dimple, versus a wart’s rough, grainy surface with black dots. The two are commonly confused but treated differently.

How is molluscum removed in adults?

Usually by curettage (lifting the spots away with a fine curette) or light cautery, under local anaesthetic, typically in a single session from £300. Occasionally a short follow-up is needed if new spots appear while immunity catches up.

Is molluscum a sexually transmitted infection?

It can be spread by sexual contact when it affects the genital area and lower abdomen, but it also spreads by ordinary skin contact and shared towels. It’s a harmless skin infection rather than one of the serious STIs, though a general sexual-health check can be reassuring.

Will molluscum go away on its own?

Often eventually — the immune system clears it, but in adults this can take many months or over a year, with new spots appearing meanwhile. Treatment shortens the process and reduces spread, which is why many adults choose it.

How do I stop molluscum spreading?

Don’t scratch or squeeze the spots, keep them covered where practical, use your own towel, avoid close skin contact and shared gym equipment over active spots, and moisturise dry skin. Over the genital area, avoid sexual contact over active lesions.