Key points
- Molluscum is a viral skin infection that causes small, harmless, raised spots.
- The spots look pearly or waxy and are painless, but they can sometimes feel itchy.
- Molluscum spreads easily from person to person by touching the spots and through bath or pool water, bath toys and towels.
- Good hygiene can help reduce the spread of the infection.
- Treatment for molluscum is rarely needed. If the skin around the spots gets infected, a doctor may prescribe antibiotics.
- Molluscum can cause eczema flare-ups, which may require treatment.
What is molluscum?
Molluscum (sometimes called ‘water warts’) is a common viral skin infection that leads to small, harmless, raised spots on the skin. It is caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus. Once infected, your child can easily spread molluscum to other people
or different areas of their own body. It is spread by touching the molluscum spots and through bath water, bath toys and towels.
Most molluscum spots take time to get better. They typically stay on the body for six to 18 months. Molluscum is harmless and usually goes away on its own without treatment.
Signs and symptoms of molluscum
At first, molluscum spots look like white pimples. They usually turn into round, pearly or waxy lumps with an indent in the middle. Molluscum spots are usually one to five millimetres in size and do not cause pain. The spots can appear almost anywhere
on the body. If your child has molluscum, they may have a few spots or many.
Doctors diagnose molluscum based on the distinct look of the spots. There is no need for skin tests or biopsies.
Healing molluscum spots
Your child’s immune system should start rejecting the molluscum virus after six to 18 months. Usually, one or two of the spots will look red and inflamed, and the surrounding skin may get itchy. After a week or so, the spots tend to burst, releasing a
thick white substance that looks like cottage cheese before starting to heal. Other molluscum spots should follow the same pattern – going red and bursting. Although it may look like the spots are infected, this inflammation is how the body heals.
If you are not sure whether another skin condition or infection is affecting your child’s molluscum, it is best to see their doctor.
Figure one and two: Close-up image of molluscum spots on light skin (left) and dark skin (right). Images have been reproduced with permission from ©DermNet 2025.
Is molluscum contagious?
Molluscum is contagious; however, most adults are exposed to molluscum when they are young and become immune to the virus. So, it is unlikely you will get infected by touching your child's spots.
The molluscum virus lives in warm water. It can spread during activities like baths and swimming in warm pools, along with sharing bath toys and towels. Molluscum can also spread through skin-to-skin contact with spots.
It can take weeks or even months for the spots to appear after your child has come into contact with the molluscum virus.
Good hygiene is important to stop molluscum from spreading. If your child has molluscum:
- do not let them share baths or bath toys with other children
- dry parts of their body without molluscum spots first, then dry the molluscum spots
- wash all towels after use
- do not let them share towels, face washers or clothes with other children
- clean and dry any bath toys
- try not to let them scratch, pick or rub their molluscum spots; this can spread the virus to other parts of the body
- wash your hands thoroughly after touching any spots.
How to care for molluscum at home
- Most children do not have any complications from molluscum. If left alone, molluscum spots very rarely cause scarring. Treatment options like irritating creams, freezing, laser and surgery can be painful for children; they may lead to scarring, blistering
or infection.
- Sometimes, molluscum spots may appear in a sensitive area, such as the face or genital area. Speak with your child’s doctor if this is the case. They may refer you to a dermatologist or dermatology nurse practitioner to explore treatment options.
- If the skin around your child’s molluscum spots shows signs of infection, like pain, spreading redness or yellow crusting, your child may need antibiotics.
- Molluscum can take a long time to heal in children with weakened immune systems (immunocompromised). If your child has a weakened immune system, or their molluscum has not gone away after 18 months, you should speak with their doctor about treatment
options.
- If the skin around your child’s molluscum spots looks like eczema – with dry, red and itchy patches – they may need prescription cream to treat it. The cream will not treat the molluscum
spots, but it will help the eczema patches and reduce the itch. Speak with your child’s doctor.
When to get help
Call an ambulance (000) if:
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See a doctor or health professional if:
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- your child gets a rash around their molluscum spots.
- your child’s molluscum spots are in sensitive areas, such as the face or genitals.
- your child’s molluscum spots are causing problems like discomfort or distress.
- your child’s molluscum spots show signs of infection, like pain, spreading redness or yellow crusting.
- your child gets dry, red and itchy skin (eczema) around their healing molluscum spots.
- your child has a weakened immune system (immunocompromised).
- your child’s molluscum spots have not gone away after 18 months.
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Look after your child at home if:
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- their molluscum spots are not causing any pain or discomfort.
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Common questions about molluscum
Is it normal for molluscum spots to be itchy?
As each molluscum spot starts to heal, some redness can appear in the surrounding skin, and it may become itchy. Keep the affected areas covered with clothing to stop the molluscum from spreading to other parts of your child’s body through scratching.
If the itch gets worse, this may be a sign of eczema; you should speak with your child’s doctor.
Can my child go to childcare or school if they have molluscum?
Children with molluscum can go to childcare or school and play with other children. This is because clothes usually cover the affected areas and there is rarely enough direct contact to spread the virus. You could consider covering the spots with
bandages, but the risk in these environments is low.
Can my child go to swimming lessons with molluscum spots?
Your child can still go to swimming lessons with molluscum. However, you should cover their spots with a waterproof sticky bandage to stop them from spreading. Do not share your child’s towels with other children.
Is molluscum a sign of bad hygiene?
Molluscum is not a sign of bad hygiene or dirtiness. It is very common, and any child can get the virus.
How do I get rid of molluscum?
In almost all cases, molluscum eventually goes away on its own. The best treatments are time and patience. Trying to treat molluscum spots can make the molluscum spread further and cause infection, pain, blistering and scarring. If your child’s
molluscum is severe, surrounded by eczema or causing a lot of discomfort, speak with their doctor for advice.
Can adults get molluscum?
Molluscum is most common in children aged one to 12 years. It is very rare for an adult to catch molluscum from their child’s spots. This is because most are immune to the virus after being exposed when they were young – even if they did not ever
have spots.
For more information
Developed by The Royal Children’s Hospital Emergency department, with input from the Dermatology department. We acknowledge the input of RCH consumers and carers.
Reviewed September 2025
Please always seek the most recent advice from a registered and practising clinician.