What does a wart look like? Usually, it’s a small, firm bump with a rough or grainy surface, although its colour, shape and texture depend on the type. Some are raised and cauliflower-like; others are smooth and almost flat. They can appear on hands, fingers, wrists and feet.
What Does a Wart Look Like When It Starts?
At first, a wart may be no more than a tiny, slightly raised spot. It can look fairly smooth before becoming rougher and may blend into the surrounding skin or appear lighter or darker. On your hand, it might resemble an ordinary bump before developing its familiar texture.
On the foot, early changes can be harder to spot. A verruca may not hurt or have visible black dots yet. Even the skin’s natural lines can be difficult to judge from a photograph. That’s why the appearance of an early growth isn’t enough to identify it confidently.
What Are the Different Types of Warts?
There are five main types of wart. Each has its own look and tends to turn up in its own favourite places, which is often the quickest clue to what you’re dealing with.
Common Warts (Verruca Vulgaris)
Common warts are characterised by their rough, cauliflower-like texture and typically appear on the fingers, hands, wrists, knees, and elbows. These warts might feature a pattern of black dots, which are clotted blood vessels. They are particularly common amongst children.
Plantar Warts (Verrucas)
Plantar warts are hard, grainy, or fleshy growths on the feet, most commonly on the heels or balls of the feet. These warts can be painful under pressure, resembling the sensation of stepping on a pebble. Unlike other warts, plantar warts can grow inward due to the pressure from walking and standing.
At first, a verruca may look like an area of slightly thicker skin or a small, darker spot. It may not hurt, and hard skin can cover it, making it easy to mistake for a callus. Those characteristic black dots aren’t always visible in the early stages.
Flat Warts (Verruca Plana)
Flat warts are smoother, flatter, and generally smaller than other wart types, and they tend to grow in large numbers. They can be pink, light brown, or light yellow and are most commonly found on the face, neck, wrists, hands, and knees, areas prone to shaving and skin trauma.
Filiform Warts (Verruca Filiformis)
Filiform warts are long, narrow, and usually flesh-coloured, growing around the mouth, nose, or beard area. Their thread-like projections can make them particularly noticeable and potentially embarrassing.
Periungual Warts
Periungual warts grow around or under the fingernails and toenails. These warts can disrupt nail growth and can be painful. They start small but can become large, cauliflower-like growths that may extend under the nail, causing pain and potential nail loss.
What’s the Difference Between a Wart and a Verruca?
A verruca isn’t a different condition from a wart. It’s the name for a wart on the sole of your foot, also known as a plantar wart. Both are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), but location affects their appearance.
A wart on your hand often sticks out. A verruca on a weight-bearing part of the sole gets pressed flatter by walking, so it often sits flat beneath a layer of hard skin and can feel sore when you stand on it.
Is It a Wart, Corn or Callus?
Corns and calluses are easily mistaken for verrucas, particularly beneath hard skin. We look at several signs together. A verruca often interrupts the natural skin lines, which stop or curve around it. With a corn, those lines generally continue across it, and there may be a hard central core. Tiny red or black dots may be visible in a verruca; these are small blood vessels, not seeds.
Pain gives another clue. A verruca may hurt more when squeezed from the sides, while a corn often hurts under direct pressure. But neither pattern is reliable on its own, especially when hard skin hides a verruca. A proper examination matters more than any single sign.
When Should You Get a Wart Checked?
Don’t assume every new bump is a wart. A growth that changes appearance, bleeds, becomes very painful or keeps coming back deserves assessment. It’s also worth getting something checked when you simply aren’t sure what it is. If you have diabetes, poor circulation or reduced feeling in your feet, don’t try to identify and treat a growth on your foot yourself.
We can examine unusual patches on your feet and tell you whether you’re dealing with a verruca, a corn or something else.
If it turns out to be a verruca, persistent or painful ones may benefit from verruca treatments. At Northwich Foot Clinic, we’ll assess your foot before recommending what happens next. If you’re unsure what a mark is, book an assessment.
