Different types of warts: what to know

Common warts often feel firm and rough and may appear on fingers, hands or around the nails. Plantar warts develop on the soles and can be pressed inward by walking, sometimes showing tiny dark dots. Flat warts are smoother and may occur in groups on the face, arms or legs. Filiform warts can have slender projections, especially around the mouth, nose or eyelids. Genital warts affect genital or nearby skin and should be assessed because their management and transmission concerns differ.

A wart may be tender after friction, catch on clothing or spread to nearby skin. A callus, mole, skin tag or another lesion can look similar, so appearance alone cannot confirm the diagnosis.

Avoid picking, biting or cutting a wart, and wash your hands after touching it. Keep personal towels, nail tools and razors separate while the lesion is present. A clinician can match treatment to the site, thickness, number of lesions and your skin type. Options may include clinician-directed freezing, removal procedures or a prescription cream; treatment can require more than one visit.

Do not apply over-the-counter wart products to the face, genitals or irritated skin without professional advice. People with diabetes, poor circulation, reduced sensation or weakened immunity should obtain guidance before treating a foot or hand lesion.

Arrange an appointment if the growth bleeds, ulcerates, changes quickly, becomes persistently painful, affects a nail, interferes with walking or keeps returning. Seek prompt assessment for a lesion near the eye or genitals, or when you are unsure it is a wart. A clinician may examine it closely and choose a safer way to confirm what it is.

Ask which type of lesion is most likely, whether testing is needed, how to protect nearby skin, and what improvement should look like during treatment. You can also ask whether cryotherapy, electrosurgery, imiquimod or another wart-removal approach fits the lesion’s location.