Warts
Warts are small, harmless lumps of skin that appear on the body. The average size of a wart may range from one to 10 millimetres and they may appear singly or in clusters.
They are fairly common, especially in childhood with around 20% of children having them. Those aged between 12 and 16 years are most commonly affected.1
Most wart infections disappear without treatment.
Explore wart topics below
What causes warts?
Warts are caused by a virus known as the human papillomavirus (HPV). There are over 100 types of HPV that are responsible for the various types of warts.2 HPV infects the cells in the outer layer of the skin, causing the formation of warts.3
You can get HPV from someone who is infected with the virus, either through direct skin contact with them or from contaminated surfaces such as gyms, public pools and communal showers. It can take up to a year for a wart to form after you have been infected with the virus. 4
Types of warts and their symptoms
HPV can cause different types of warts which have different characteristics. These include:5 6
Common warts (verruca vulgaris) — These are hard, raised lumps with a rough, grainy appearance and a round top. These warts are usually greyer than the surrounding skin and are mostly found on the knees and hands.
Flat warts (verruca plana) — Appearing as smooth, flattened lumps these warts can be pink, brown or slightly yellow. They most commonly grow on the face, thighs or arms.
Filiform warts — These resemble long, thin threads and are usually found around your mouth, nose or eyelids.
Mosaic warts — Mostly found on the hands and soles of the feet, these look like a tight cluster of warts.
Plantar warts — These grow on the soles of the feet and grow into your skin, not out of it. They look like small hard bumps with a black dot on them.
Periungual warts —These grow under and around the toenails and fingernails. They can be painful and affect healthy nail growth.
Genital warts — These warts are sexually transmitted so most commonly affect the penis, vulva and anus. They appear as grey or off-white lumps with a cauliflower-like appearance. Genital warts are caused by a different family type of HPV than ordinary skin warts and may lead to the development of vulval and cervical cancer.7 Ordinary skin warts do not cause cancer.
How to get rid of warts
Around 65% of warts clear up within two years without any kind of treatment.8 However, as warts can be uncomfortable and ugly, many people opt for treatment. There are several treatments for warts which include at-home treatments and treatments by doctors. These include:
Treatment for warts
There are a couple of at-home treatments for warts which include:9
- over-the-counter (OTC) freezing treatments kill the skin and allow you to scrape the surface of the wart away
- topical treatments containing salicylic acid or lactic acid (wart paint); this is an effective alternative to freeze treatments, though may take many weeks to work
You should seek treatment from a doctor if you have warts on your feet and you have diabetes, or if you have warts on sensitive areas of your body such as the face or genitals.
Wart treatment from doctors
Treatment from your doctor may involve:10, 11
- freezing (cryotherapy) using liquid nitrogen or sprays but this may take up to four months of regular treatment to get rid of the wart
- laser treatment
- surgical cauterisation (burning) of the wart or complete surgical removal although less common due to potential scarring
- immunotherapy, although this can take time
When should you see your doctor?
If you think you have genital warts, you should visit your doctor as these kinds of warts can lead to cancer. You should also see your doctor if:
- the wart is painful or is bothering you
- the wart seems infected
- you have warts on your face or feet
- you have multiple warts, or they are spreading
- you have a low immune system
- you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant
Can you prevent warts?
You can take precautions to stop warts from spreading.12, 13
- always wash your hands after you have been in contact with someone who has warts
- avoid picking, scratching or biting a wart
- cover warts
- avoid sharing wart treatments with other people
- wear shoes in communal showers and around public pools
If you have a plantar wart:
- change your socks daily
- avoid sharing socks or footwear with others
- do not go barefoot in public areas
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