Types of Warts: How to Identify Each One

The main types of warts are common, flat (plane), plantar, mosaic, filiform, periungual and genital warts. All are caused by HPV, and you can usually tell them apart by where they grow and how they look.

Most warts are harmless but stubborn, and they spread easily. In India, many people call any small bump a "masse", so warts are often confused with skin tags or moles. Here's how to recognise each type.

What Are Warts?

Warts are small skin growths caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 HPV strains, and different strains cause different types of warts. The virus enters through tiny cuts, so warts often appear on hands, feet, and shaved skin.

Common warts are rough, raised, grainy bumps, usually on fingers, the backs of the hands, knees and elbows. The tiny black dots aren't "seeds" but clotted blood vessels, which is why they're sometimes called seed warts.

2. Flat Warts (Plane Warts or Verruca Plana)

Flat warts are small, smooth and only slightly raised. They're often skin-coloured, light brown or slightly darker, and can appear in groups of dozens.

They're very common on the face, forehead and neck, and on men's beard areas. They spread easily through shaving, so a shared razor at the barber or facial threading can spread flat warts in a line across the skin. In children, they often show up on the cheeks and forehead.

3. Plantar Warts

Plantar warts grow on the soles, usually on the heel or ball of the foot. Walking pushes them inward, so they look flat and hard, and can feel like a small stone underfoot.

Plantar wart vs callus: a plantar wart usually has tiny black dots and hurts when you squeeze it from the sides. A callus has smooth skin lines running through it and hurts more when pressed directly.

4. Mosaic Warts

Mosaic warts are small plantar warts that join into a tile-like patch on the sole. They hurt less than single plantar warts but are harder to treat.

5. Filiform Warts

Filiform warts are long, thin growths that stick out like little threads, usually around the eyes, nose, lips, chin and neck. They grow quickly and are a common reason people seek cosmetic wart removal.

6. Periungual Warts

Periungual warts grow around the fingernails or toenails. They're rough, can spread under the nail and change its shape, and are more likely if you bite your nails or pick at cuticles.

7. Genital Warts

Genital warts are soft, skin-coloured bumps on or around the genitals and anus, sometimes cauliflower-shaped. They spread through sexual contact and always need a doctor's assessment, not over-the-counter products.

Not every bump is a wart. Here's a quick way to tell the difference:

• Warts are rough, firm and may have black dots. They can spread.
• Skin tags are soft, smooth and hang from a thin stalk, often on the neck, underarms or eyelids.
• Moles are usually smooth, brown or black, and don't spread. A mole that changes in size, shape or colour should be checked. Read how to tell when a mole needs a doctor's attention.
• Small dark bumps on the cheeks that don't spread are often dermatosis papulosa nigra (DPN), which is common in Indian skin and isn't a wart.

Yes. They spread through skin contact, shared towels and razors, and damp floors at gyms and pools. Picking or shaving over a wart spreads it to nearby skin.

Do Warts Go Away on Their Own?

Many do, especially in children; around two-thirds clear within two years. But they can spread while you wait, and warts on the face, feet or nails often need treatment.

Why You Shouldn't Remove Warts at Home

Tying thread around a wart, cutting or burning it, or applying lime or strong acids can cause infection, scars and dark marks, especially on the face, eyelids and genitals.

A dermatologist chooses the treatment based on the type of wart, where it is and your skin type. Options include:

• Prescription creams or peels, often for flat warts on the face
• Cryotherapy, freezing with liquid nitrogen, often for common and plantar warts
• Radiofrequency (RF) cautery, for filiform and raised warts
• CO2 laser treatment for warts and skin tags, for stubborn or multiple warts, with precise control to reduce marks

See a dermatologist if:

• The wart is on your face, eyelids, lips or genitals
• It bleeds, hurts, changes colour or grows quickly
• You have many warts, or they keep coming back
• You have diabetes or a weak immune system, especially with warts on the feet
• You're not sure it's a wart at all

At Uncover Clinics, our dermatologists can confirm the type of wart and recommend safe removal.