To anyone who has contacted me from Nov 1st through Dec 31st, a thousand apologies for my tardiness in responding; I had to have a surgical operation (completely unrelated to the skin stuff) that ended up not healing right, so the past couple months have been a bit of a nightmare… and I just have not had the time or energy to return every comment and e-mail. I’m so very sorry about that. I will try to catch up on everything through the course of January 2014. – Chris
Letter Written to the American Academy of Dermatology
So, after receiving non-stop horror stories from people who complain that their doctors and dermatologists gave them bad advice, said to “wait for it to go away,” or only prescribed expensive creams and painful treatment methods… I have just written a letter to the American Academy of Dermatology, emploring them to take a few minutes to read my story and spread the word.
Pray that my letter makes it to the right set of eyes, and that they do in fact spread the word. If all the doctors and dermatologists of the world would take a few minutes and read my story, then thousands of people the world over could spared the pain, humiliation, frustration, and fear that this virus causes.
On Eczema and Molluscum
So, I’ve had someone write to me recently with advice on how to adapt my tips if you’re also suffering from eczema and have to deal with molluscum contagiosum at the same time, since dryness is a factor in both skin conditions. This is what she had to say:
“I want to first thank you for taking time to share your experience and what worked for you. I sympathize with you and can relate having had MC as a child and now living through it yet again with my 6yo. While you’ve certainly given some good advice, I must correct some of the misinformation here. First of all it is not proven that the virus is transmitted in water. its more likely that sharing of towels and toys is what leads to spreading the virus. if you cover your lesions with a water proof bandage then a bath is acceptable. That said, a short, quick shower is what’s best. The reason is when you soak in the tub, or take a long shower the top layer of the dermis will open and the virus will be literally just sitting on the skin. This is when it is imperative to only blot your skin with a towel, and not rub. To do so would spread the virus. Again, after a bath or long shower the skin is like a sponge and will immediately absorb the virus that was just rubbed off with the towel. It’s best to just “drip dry”! You’ve stated more than once to “keep the area/skin as dry as possible”. This is just bad advice for people/children with atopic dermatitis and eczema. MC will infect in a wound and even in a tiny scratch. People with Eczema MUST keep the skin healthy and lubricated to prevent open wounds that the MC will contaminate. Again, it’s impairitive for eczema sufferers, or even people with dry skin to keep skin healthy. That is the first line of defense. Unfortunately, most people that suffer from eczema will become infected w/MC; we just have a weak “skin immune system” if you will.
In closing I want to again say thank you for your advise that has obviously helped many. That said, people with certain skin conditions need to treat MC differently than those w/healthy skin. One of the best things to keep skin healthy is drinking plenty of water! Taking vitamins was also great advice. Thanks again for your post, and I hope this addition will help those that suffer from Eczema AND MC.”
While I don’t personally have eczema, I can’t really back this story up with personal experience, but I hope that her tips will be helpful to others. God bless.
ON TEA TREE OIL
Q. SHOULD I POP THE SPOTS MYSELF?
A. No. Remember, it’s that white waxy core at the center of the molluscum lesion that’s the really contagious stuff. You never want to intentionally expose that part. That white crud touches your skin anywhere, and it can spread the virus. And if you see that any lesion has matured on its own and popped of its own accord, clean the area immediately followed by an application of the tea tree oil.
This is also why you don’t want to shave the area. That razor hits a lesion, and it can pop it, and spread the virus. I made that mistake myself, when I first saw the bubbles on my skin. They were under hair, so, I shaved to get a better look. And, I spread the virus from one concentrated patch to a much larger area of my skin.
This is also why I really detest the “scraping” method that some dermatologists do, where they use a tool to basically “scoop” out the entire lesion from your skin. This method is painful, messy, and leaves what they refer to as “debris”… basically, left over tiny pieces of that white crud. And then they tell you to go home and soak in the tub, to “remove the debris.” That’s terrible advice. All that does is let the white stuff float into the water, and come back down and touch some other part of your body.
Remember, if you apply the tea tree oil regularly, the lesions will respond by shrinking, and eventually fading away. If there are no mature lesions when you start this treatment, it’s likely that they won’t grow to that point and pop on their own. Be patient with it though; it can take 2 weeks for the oil to sink in and really start working. Be consistent, give it time. And only apply twice a day or after a shower; more than that can suffocate and irritate the skin. One drop on a cotton ball, spread to the entire area. That, and keep the area as dry as possible. The mollscum contagiosum virus thrives in a warm, damp environment.
NEW BLOG
So, this used to be a one-page website that listed my story, my “year with mollscum,” and that was it. It helped hundreds of people around the world… but it was still just a basic one-page site. Now, I’ve expanded it into a blog that I will be updating regularly, with tips and advice on many skin conditions, info regarding the products I recommend, further details regarding some of the questions I’m asked, and more. Search the site for more info, ask any question you want… and I’ll try to help.
- Christopher G.