Warts: Signs and symptoms
Types of warts
There are a few different types of warts. The type is determined by where it grows on the body and what it looks like. The following describes the signs (what a person sees) and symptoms (what a person feels) for some of the different types of warts.
Common warts
(also called vurruca vulgaris)
Common warts have these traits:
Grow most often on the fingers, around the nails, and on the backs of the hands.
Are more common where skin was broken, such as from biting fingernails or picking at hangnails.
Can have black dots that look like seeds (often called "seed" warts).
Most often feel like rough bumps.
If you’re unsure whether a growth on your skin is a wart, see a board-certified dermatologist.
Another skin condition, such as seborrheic keratoses (A) or skin cancer (B) can look like a wart.
Foot warts
(also called plantar warts)
Plantar warts have these traits:
Grow most often on the soles (plantar surface) of the feet
Can grow in clusters (mosaic warts)
Often are flat or grow inward (walking creates pressure, which causes the warts to grow inward)
Can hurt, feels like you have pebbles in your shoe
Can have black dots
Plantar warts (verruca plantaris)
These warts often look like rough, thickened growths that often contain small, black dots. The dots are blood vessels.
Flat warts
Flat warts have these traits:
Can occur anywhere. Children usually get them on the face. Men get these most often in the beard area, and women tend to get them on their legs.
Are smaller and smoother than other warts.
Tend to grow in large numbers, 20 to 100 at a time.
Filiform warts
Filiform warts have these traits:
Looks like long threads or thin fingers that stick out
Often grows on the face: around the mouth, eyes, and nose
Often grow quickly
HIV weakens the immune system
This boy has HIV, and warts cover his hands and other parts of his body.
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