What should you know about small warts on body?

Common warts often feel firm and uneven, with a skin-coloured, greyish, or brown surface. They may occur on hands, arms, legs, or around the nails. Tiny dark dots can be visible when the thickened surface is examined closely. Warts can spread to nearby skin when they are picked, rubbed, or shaved over. Their appearance can overlap with other skin growths, so a new, painful, bleeding, rapidly enlarging, or strongly pigmented spot deserves an examination rather than home treatment.

Keep the area clean and avoid scratching, cutting, or biting the growth. Do not share towels, nail tools, or razors that touch it, and cover it when friction is likely. A dermatologist can discuss options based on its location, thickness, number, and your skin type. Possible clinic treatments include cryotherapy, electrosurgery, or other wart removal methods. Imiquimod treatment may be considered for selected lesions. Follow the treatment instructions closely and allow treated skin to heal before irritating it.

Arrange a dermatology review if the diagnosis is uncertain, the growth keeps returning, or several lesions are appearing. Seek prompt care for marked pain, warmth, pus, spreading redness, persistent bleeding, or a sore that does not heal. People with diabetes, reduced sensation, poor circulation, or a weakened immune system should obtain personalised advice before treating a wart themselves.

Could this growth be a wart or another type of lesion? Which treatment fits its location and thickness? How should I protect nearby skin during treatment, and what changes should make me return sooner?