Molluscum contagiosum is a viral skin infection caused by a poxvirus. The bumps are contagious, spread easily by direct skin contact, and need a dermatologist, not an at-home removal tool. If you are looking at small, dome-shaped bumps with a central dimple and wondering what to do, this article explains what molluscum is, how adults get it, and why managing it correctly matters.
Key takeaways
Molluscum contagiosum is caused by a virus. It requires a dermatologist. At-home removal tools, including plasma pens, must not be used on these bumps.
- Molluscum bumps have a distinctive central dimple and spread by touch. A doctor confirms the diagnosis.
- Disrupting the bumps at home releases the virus and spreads new lesions. Do not pop, scrape, or burn them.
- In healthy adults, molluscum often resolves on its own over 6 to 12 months. A dermatologist can also accelerate clearance.
- Plasma pens and similar devices are designed for benign, non-viral growths: skin tags, milia, sebaceous hyperplasia, age spots. Molluscum is not in that category.
- If you are unsure whether your bumps are molluscum or something else, see a dermatologist before doing anything to them.
What molluscum looks like in adults
The visual fingerprint
Molluscum contagiosum bumps are small (2 to 5mm), dome-shaped, and flesh-colored to pearly white. The most distinctive feature is a central dimple or indentation called umbilication. In adults, bumps typically appear on the trunk, arms, neck, or in the groin and genital area when the infection is transmitted sexually. They usually appear in clusters rather than as a single isolated bump.
The bumps do not typically cause pain. They may itch if inflamed, and scratching makes spreading worse. In adults with healthy immune systems, the infection is self-limiting: the body eventually clears the virus, though that process can take 6 to 12 months without treatment.
How molluscum differs from benign bumps you might treat at home
Adults frequently mistake molluscum for milia, closed comedones, or small skin tags. The key difference is the central dimple: milia and closed comedones are firm, white or yellowish, and have no central dimple. Skin tags are soft, irregular growths on a stalk. If you are sorting through what you have, our guide to closed comedones vs milia vs sebaceous filaments covers those look-alikes in detail.
The other difference is behavior: molluscum spreads. Benign growths like skin tags, milia, or sebaceous hyperplasia stay in one place. If you are noticing new bumps appearing near the original ones, especially along skin folds or contact zones, that spread pattern is a strong signal that the infection is viral and needs a clinical diagnosis, not an at-home treatment.
How adults get molluscum contagiosum
The molluscum poxvirus spreads through direct skin-to-skin contact. Common routes in adults include sexual contact (the most common route in sexually active adults), sharing towels, razors, or clothing, and skin contact at gyms, pools, or wrestling mats. The virus lives in the fluid inside the bumps and on the skin surface immediately around them.
The incubation period is 2 to 7 weeks, which means you may not see bumps until weeks after exposure. Adults with weakened immune systems (from HIV, immunosuppressive medications, or other conditions) can develop much more extensive outbreaks with hundreds of lesions, and those cases require specialist management. Per the American Academy of Dermatology, molluscum in immunocompromised individuals is treated differently and more aggressively than in otherwise healthy adults.
Why molluscum is a doctor visit, not a home fix
The virus spreads when you disrupt the bumps
Inside each molluscum bump is a core of viral material called molluscum bodies. When a bump is popped, scraped, or punctured, that viral material spreads onto the surrounding skin and onto your hands. The result is new bumps at every site the contaminated hands or tools then touched. This is called autoinoculation, and it is the reason most attempts to handle these bumps at home make the outbreak larger, not smaller.
Shaving over molluscum bumps has the same effect: the razor nicks the bumps, spreads the viral material, and seeds new lesions along the shaving path. Do not shave over affected areas while bumps are present.
Treatment options your dermatologist will consider
A dermatologist has several effective options. Cantharidin is a topical agent applied in-office that causes the bump to blister and fall off. Curettage physically removes the bumps. Cryotherapy freezes them. Topical imiquimod stimulates the immune response to clear the virus over several weeks. Per the Mayo Clinic, the right approach depends on the number of lesions, location, and the patient's immune status.
In healthy adults with a small number of bumps, watchful waiting is also a legitimate option. The immune system clears molluscum on its own, typically over 6 to 12 months. Your dermatologist will help you weigh treatment (faster clearance, less spread risk) against waiting (avoids any procedural discomfort).
What not to do with molluscum bumps
Do NOT do any of the following
- Pop, squeeze, or scratch molluscum bumps. This spreads the virus.
- Shave over areas with active bumps. The razor spreads viral material across the shaving path.
- Use a plasma pen, at-home electrocautery, or any at-home removal device on molluscum bumps. These tools are designed for benign, non-viral growths. Using them on molluscum disrupts the bumps and spreads the infection, and can scar.
- Share towels, razors, clothing, or sports equipment while bumps are present.
- Assume the bumps will resolve overnight. Viral clearance takes time.
If skin trauma does occur around the bumps during the infection (from scratching or irritation), the resulting dark marks are post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Those marks are a separate issue your skin may carry even after the molluscum clears.
How to tell molluscum from look-alike bumps
The look-alike question matters because the right action depends entirely on what you have. Molluscum requires a dermatologist. Several benign conditions can look similar at a glance but do not require medical management and do respond well to at-home tools.
| Bump type | Central dimple? | Spreads by touch? | At-home tool appropriate? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molluscum contagiosum | Yes | Yes (viral) | No. See a dermatologist. |
| Milia | No | No | Possibly, with appropriate tool. |
| Closed comedones | No (pore opening) | No | Possibly, with appropriate tool. |
| Sebaceous hyperplasia | Yes (gland opening) | No | Yes, plasma pen reaches the gland. |
| Skin tags | No | No | Yes, plasma pen treats skin tags. |
The NIH MedlinePlus skin conditions reference is a reliable starting point for understanding the difference between infectious and non-infectious skin growths when you are trying to sort out what you have.
If the bumps spread to new spots on their own, the cause is viral. Viral means a doctor, not a device.
FAQ
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Real questions adults ask once they suspect molluscum contagiosum.
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The bottom line
Molluscum contagiosum is caused by a virus. A dermatologist manages it. At-home skin tools, including plasma pens, are designed for benign non-viral growths: skin tags, milia, sebaceous hyperplasia, age spots. They must not be used on molluscum. If you have bumps you are not certain about, see a dermatologist before doing anything to them. If you have already identified your bumps as one of the benign, non-viral types, the right at-home tool makes all the difference.
The OcuraLife Plasma Pen is built for benign, non-viral skin growths: skin tags, milia, sebaceous hyperplasia, age spots, and similar blemishes. It is not a molluscum treatment and should never be used as one. If your bumps are in that benign, non-viral category, the Plasma Pen delivers precise plasma energy to each growth in about five minutes, with a small scab that lifts by Day 3 to 7 and clear skin by Week 2 to 3. For a roundup of how at-home plasma pens compare, see our best at-home plasma pen 2026 guide.
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The OcuraLife Plasma Pen is built for this
Designed for benign, non-viral skin growths: skin tags, milia, sebaceous hyperplasia, age spots. Nine power settings, single-use sterile tips. A scab forms, lifts on its own, and skin renews in 2 to 3 weeks. Not for molluscum.
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