Cryotherapy is an effective treatment option for molluscum contagiosum. Molluscum contagiosum is an infection caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus. It presents with skin-coloured or whitish bumps on the skin. This is infectious and can spread to other nearby sites by scratching and rubbing, which can lead to auto-inoculation of the virus. It can spread to other people by skin-to-skin contact.
Cryotherapy involves destroying the virus by 'freezing' it, often with a liquid nitrogen spray. This leads to a localised frostbite injury and can lead to a blister and crust formation. The molluscum virus can be effectively treated by cryotherapy. Side effects of cryotherapy include:
- pain at the site of application,
- blister formation,
- risk of infection and
- post-inflammatory hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation.
Molluscum contagiosum can be treated by other means. Personally, I find pricking the molluscum and expressing the contents is a good treatment option. I find that this treatment heals faster than cryotherapy and tends to leave less post-inflammatory hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation. I prefer using this for more cosmetically sensitive sites like the face.
