Warts: Signs & 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.

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

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