Types of Warts
There are several types of warts. They can be white, pink or brown, skin-colored or darker, rough or smooth, large or small, depending on where they are on the body.
The main types of warts are:
- Common warts – These warts usually grow on fingers or on the back of the hand.
- Periungual warts – These warts grow around the fingernails or toenails. They can interfere with nail growth and cause the nail to become deformed. People who bite their nails or have hangnails are more prone to this type of wart because the virus gets in
through the broken skin.
- Foot (plantar) warts: Plantar warts occur on the bottom surface (plantar surface) of the feet and are quite common. They’reusually thick and look like calluses. These warts can be painful and feel like small stones on the bottom of the feet when you walk.
- Flat warts: Flat warts often occur in bunches of 20 or more. They often are small and smooth. They are found anywhere, but especially on the face.
- Filiform warts: While most warts are somewhat round and either flat or mound-shaped, filiform warts are thinner and stick out from the skin more. They’re more thread- or finger-like than other types of warts and usually appear on the face, around the mouth, eyes or nose.
Warts don’t have roots. Sometimes you’ll notice small black flecks in the warts. The blood feeding the wart sometimes clots so that it looks like a tiny black seed. It’s nothing to be alarmed about.
Molluscum contagiosum
Molluscum bumps are small and round. They often appear in groups and are pink or skin-colored, but may become red, especially if scratched. Sometimes they look like pimples. But they often appear in places where you don’t usually see pimples, such as on the arms, legs, buttocks, stomach and in the folds of the arm or groin.
Next: Treating Warts
Photo references:
Common warts and Periungual wart: These photos were previously published in Dermatology DDxDeck, Vol 1, Pg 59. Habif T, Campbell J, Chapman M et al. “Warts (verruca vulgaris).” Copyright Elsevier (2006).
Plantar warts and Molluscum contagiosum: Photos used with permission of the American Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatologic Teaching Slides.
Flat warts and Filiform wart: These photos were previously published in Dermatology DDxDeck, Vol 1, Pg 60. Habif T, Campbell J, Chapman M et al. “Flat warts.” Copyright Elsevier (2006).
