Topic Overview

This topic covers warts on any area of the body except the genitals. For information about warts in this location, see the topic Genital Warts.
What are warts, and what causes them?
A wart is a harmless, noncancerous skin growth caused by a human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 known types of HPV. HPV infects the top layer of skin, usually entering the body in an area of broken skin. The virus causes the top layer of skin to grow rapidly, resulting in a wart. Warts generally go away on their own within months or years. 1
Warts can occur anywhere on the body. They are most common among children and young adults. 2
There are six main kinds of warts. They can differ in location and in appearance.
Common warts appear most often on the hands, but they may appear anywhere on the body. They are rough, gray-brown, dome-shaped growths.
Plantar warts occur on the soles of the feet. They look like hard, thick patches of skin with dark specks. Plantar warts may cause pain when you walk, and you may feel like you are stepping on a pebble.
Flat warts are usually found on your face, arms, or legs. They are small (usually smaller than the eraser on the end of a pencil), have flat tops, and can be pink, light brown, or light yellow.
Filiform warts are usually found around the mouth, nose, or beard area. They are flesh-colored with fingerlike projections.
Periungual warts are found under and around the toenails and fingernails. They appear as rough, irregular bumps. They can affect nail growth.
Genital warts are found on the genitals, around the anus, within the rectum or vagina, or on the cervix. They range in color from flesh to gray and often grow together to form cauliflower-like masses and in some cases are too small to see. Genital warts may increase a woman's risk of cervical cancer.
How are warts spread?
Warts are easily spread by direct contact with a human papillomavirus. You can reinfect yourself by touching the wart and then another part of your body. You can infect others by sharing towels, razors, or other personal items. After exposure to a human papillomavirus, it can take 2 to 9 months of slow growth beneath the skin before you notice a wart. 2
It is unlikely that you will develop a wart every time you are exposed to a human papillomavirus. Some people are more likely to develop warts than others.
Genital warts are very contagious.
What are common symptoms?
Warts occur in a variety of shapes and sizes. A wart may appear as a bump with a rough surface, or it may be flat and smooth. Tiny blood vessels (capillaries) grow into the core of the wart to supply it with blood. In both common and plantar warts, these capillaries may appear as dark dots (seeds) in the wart's center. Typically, the skin lines and creases over the wart are distorted.
Warts are usually painless; however, a wart that develops on a pressure point, such as a finger or on the bottom of the foot, can be painful.
How are warts diagnosed?
Warts are usually diagnosed by their appearance. Your health professional may take a sample of the wart and examine it under a microscope (skin biopsy). This may be done if the diagnosis is unclear or if a skin growth is darker than the skin surrounding it, appears as an irregular patch on the skin, bleeds, or is large and growing rapidly.
How are they treated?
Treatment is not needed for most warts. However, if you have warts that are painful or spreading or you are bothered by their appearance, your treatment options include:
Home treatment with a nonprescription salicylic acid or with adhesive tape.
Putting a stronger medication on the wart, or injecting it with medication.
Freezing the wart (cryotherapy).
Surgical removal of the wart (electrosurgery, curettage, laser surgery).
Wart treatment is not always successful. Even after a wart shrinks or disappears, warts may return or spread to other parts of the body. This is because most treatments only destroy the wart and do not kill the virus that causes the wart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learning about warts and plantar warts:
What are warts?
What causes warts?
Can I prevent warts?
What are the symptoms of warts?
How do warts progress?
What increases my risk of developing warts?
Who is affected by warts?
Being diagnosed:
Who can diagnose warts?
How are warts diagnosed?
Getting treatment:
How are warts treated?
What medications will I need to take?
Will I need surgery?
What other treatments might be recommended?
Should I treat warts?
Living with warts:
How can I manage warts at home?
Author: Paul Lehnert
Medical Review: Patrice Burgess, MD - Family Medicine Alexander H. Murray, MD, FRCPC - Dermatology
Last Updated: November 17, 2004
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