What should you know about tag warts?

A common wart may feel firm or rough and can interrupt the normal lines of the skin. It may occur on fingers, hands, around nails, or other areas that experience contact or minor skin injury. Warts spread through direct contact and through shared damp surfaces; picking can move the virus to nearby skin.

Not every bump is a wart. A changing, bleeding, painful, pigmented, or uncertain growth should be examined before home treatment. A clinician can distinguish a wart from a corn, molluscum, skin tag, or another lesion.

Avoid picking, biting, or shaving over the lesion. Wash hands after touching it, keep it covered when practical, and do not share towels, nail tools, socks, or shoes. A clinician may discuss [Cryotherapy (Lesion Removal)](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/cryotherapy-lesion-removal/), [Electrosurgery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/electrosurgery/), or [Wart Removal](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/wart-removal/). Some persistent or site-specific lesions may be considered for [Imiquimod Treatment](/treatments/medical-dermatology/imiquimod-therapy/).

Arrange an assessment if the growth is bleeding, rapidly changing, very painful, repeatedly infected, or interfering with walking or hand use. Seek advice before treating a lesion on the face, genitals, near the eye, or under a nail. People with diabetes, poor circulation, reduced immunity, or slow wound healing should obtain professional guidance before attempting removal.

Ask: Is this definitely a wart? Which treatment fits its location and thickness? How should I protect nearby skin? Could it recur or spread to other areas? What wound care is needed, and when should the lesion be rechecked?