Skip to content
We know skin / Entendemos la pielEspañol
Skinpaths

Common warts: information for patients

Dermatólogo realizando crioterapia en una verruga periungueal de un niño acompañado por su madre en consulta médica.
By Dr. Rodolfo SuárezSeptember 18, 202610 min read

A clear guide on how to recognize common warts, what measures are safe, and when to seek medical advice.

Before you read: At Skinpaths, we distinguish between opinion and evidence. To write this content, we prioritized indexed medical sources and recommendations from scientific societies. You’ll find the complete bibliography at the end for your reference.
Important: This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. If you have any questions, persistent symptoms, or your condition worsens, always consult a healthcare professional.

Summary in 60 seconds

  • Common warts are benign skin growths caused by certain types of the human papillomavirus, or HPV.
  • This article refers to non-genital skin warts, such as those on the hands, fingers, feet, knees, face, neck, or around the nails.
  • They usually appear as small, rough, raised, firm lesions that are the same color as the skin or slightly darker.
  • Sometimes they show black spots, which are not «roots», but small clotted blood vessels.
  • Many disappear on their own over time, especially in children, although it can take months or years.
  • Not all of them need treatment; they are treated more often when they are painful, multiply, bothersome when walking, or are aesthetically concerning.
  • Salicylic acid and cryotherapy are common options, but they require consistency, proper indication, and realistic expectations.
  • It is not advisable to cut, burn, tear or apply irritating remedies.
  • Consult a dermatology specialist if the lesion is painful, bleeds, changes rapidly, appears on the face or genitals, or if you have diabetes, poor circulation, or immunosuppression.

What is a common wart?

A common wart is a benign skin growth caused by infection of the skin’s surface layer by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). This article discusses only non-genital warts, such as those that appear on the hands, fingers, feet, knees, around the nails, face, or neck. For a review of genital warts, click here.

Skin warts are not a sign of poor hygiene. They appear when the virus comes into contact with susceptible skin, especially in environments with moisture, friction, small wounds, or micro-fissures. This explains why they are common in children, adolescents, people who bite their nails, those who walk barefoot in shared, damp areas, or those who experience repeated skin trauma. Sterling 2014 , DermNet NZ 2024

Why do they appear?

The cause is skin-to-skin contact with cutaneous types of HPV. The virus can be transmitted by direct contact with a wart or, in some cases, indirectly through contaminated surfaces or objects. However, not everyone exposed develops warts; factors such as the skin barrier, the immune response, and the location of contact all play a role. BAD 2021 , NICE 2025

Autoinoculation can also occur: touching, scratching, shaving, or manipulating a wart can cause the virus to spread to nearby areas. This is why some warts appear in clusters or in a line. Warts around the nails are more likely to occur when there is a habit of biting the nails, picking at the skin, or traumatizing the nail edges.

People with immunosuppression may experience more numerous, persistent, or difficult-to-treat warts. This can occur in some transplant patients, people with immune-reducing diseases, or those receiving immunosuppressant medications. Sterling 2014 , AAD 2025

What do they look like and what symptoms do they cause?

Common warts are usually small, rough, firm, bumps with a bumpy surface. They often appear on the fingers, the backs of the hands, and around the nails. They can be skin-colored, pink, grayish, or slightly darker.

The black dots sometimes seen on the surface are not «roots.» They are usually small clotted blood vessels, a common finding in many warts. AAD 2025 , Mayo Clinic 2024

On the feet, plantar warts can be mistaken for calluses. They often disrupt the normal lines of the skin, may show black dots, and sometimes hurt when walking. Some appear in clusters, forming what are called mosaic warts.

There are also flat warts, which are smaller, smooth, and often multiple; filiform warts, with thin projections, common on the face or neck; and periungual or subungual warts, which appear around or under the nails. The latter deserve special attention if they deform the nail, grow progressively, or do not have a typical appearance. PCDS 2026

What can you do today?

If the wart is small, painless, not in a sensitive area, and the diagnosis seems clear, observation is a reasonable option. Many warts disappear without treatment, especially in children and people with healthy immune systems, although this can take months or years. (AAD 2025 , InformedHealth 2023)

To reduce the risk of spreading, avoid scratching or picking at the wart, sharing files or towels, covering it if it becomes irritated by friction, and washing your hands after touching it. For plantar warts, wearing sandals in shared showers, swimming pools, or changing rooms can reduce contact with shared wet surfaces. BAD 2021

Over-the-counter salicylic acid may be helpful for some warts on the hands or feet. It usually requires consistent application for several weeks. Generally, the lesion is softened with warm water, the area is dried, the surface layer is gently removed with a disposable file or one used exclusively for that wart, and then the product is applied according to the package instructions. Treatment should be discontinued if significant pain, bleeding, severe blistering, or marked irritation occurs. (Kwok 2012 , AAD 2025)

Before using salicylic acid, consult a specialist if you have diabetes, poor circulation, neuropathy, immunosuppression, diagnostic uncertainty, or lesions on your face, genitals, mucous membranes, or other highly sensitive areas. In these situations, the safety margin for self-treatment is significantly reduced.

What NOT to do?

It’s not advisable to cut, burn, pierce, or pull off a wart at home. These actions can cause infection, bleeding, scarring, discoloration, or spread of the virus to surrounding skin.

It is also not recommended to apply strong acids, garlic, vinegar, caustic substances, or irritating homemade mixtures. Evidence for these methods is limited, and the risk of chemical burns or residual pigmentation can be significant, especially on the face, neck, hands, and more pigmented skin.

Do not use the same nail clippers, file, or pumice stone on healthy skin after touching a wart. If a file is used to remove superficial skin before applying salicylic acid, it should be disposable or used exclusively for that lesion.

Don’t assume every rough lesion is a wart. Some benign lesions, calluses, seborrheic keratoses, and even certain skin tumors can resemble warts. Diagnostic uncertainty is reason enough to consult a doctor. Mayo Clinic 2024 , PCDS 2026

When should I consult?

Consult a dermatology specialist if any of these situations appear:

  • The injury hurts, bleeds, burns, itches intensely, or ulcerates.
  • It grows quickly, changes color, or has an irregular appearance.
  • You’re not sure if it’s a wart.
  • There are many warts, they multiply or reappear frequently.
  • It is on the face, eyelids, lips, genitals, anus or mucous membranes.
  • It is around or under a nail and deforms the nail plate.
  • You have diabetes, neuropathy, poor circulation, or immunosuppression.
  • You have used home treatment for several weeks and it is not improving, or your skin is becoming too irritated.
  • The wart interferes with walking, writing, working, playing sports, or performing daily activities.

These signs are important because treatment changes depending on the location, diagnosis, immune status, and risk of side effects.

What does a dermatologist usually do?

The dermatologist usually begins with a clinical evaluation: observing the shape, surface, location, number of lesions, and symptoms. In some cases, they use dermatoscopy, a magnifying tool with light that allows them to see vascular patterns, keratin, or disruption of normal skin lines.

In plantar warts, you can carefully remove part of the surface layer to differentiate them from calluses or corns. If the lesion is typical, a biopsy is often unnecessary. If it is atypical, bleeds unexplained, grows progressively, appears in an adult around a nail, or does not respond as expected, a biopsy may be indicated to rule out other diseases. Sterling 2014 , PCDS 2026

Treatment options include observation, salicylic acid, liquid nitrogen cryotherapy, cantharidin in selected settings, curettage, electrosurgery, laser, or immunomodulatory/intralesional treatments for persistent warts. No single option is perfect for all cases. The choice depends on age, pain, location, number of lesions, expectations, risk of scarring, and medical history. Therefore, expert medical evaluation is important. Sterling 2014 , Zhu 2022

Cryotherapy can be helpful, but it can cause pain, blistering, pigmentation changes, and may require several sessions. For plantar warts, some studies have not shown clear superiority over salicylic acid, so the decision should be tailored to each individual case. (Cockayne 2011 , Bruggink 2010)

Frequently Asked Questions

Are common warts contagious?

  • Yes, they can be transmitted through direct or indirect contact, although not everyone exposed develops warts. The risk increases if the skin is moist, cracked, or traumatized.

Are black dots roots?

  • No. Blackheads are usually small clotted blood vessels. Warts don’t have «roots» as such.

Can they disappear on their own?

  • Yes. Many warts disappear without treatment, especially in children and people with healthy immune systems. However, they can take months or years to clear up, and some persist or multiply.

Should I treat all warts?

  • Not necessarily. Treatment may be considered if they are painful, snag on clothing, bothersome when walking, spread, cause cosmetic discomfort, or if there is concern about contagion. Observation is a valid option when they are small, typical, and not bothersome.

Does salicylic acid work?

  • It can help, especially if used consistently and correctly. Available evidence supports salicylic acid as one of the most widely used topical options, offering a good balance of safety, availability, and cost, although it is not effective in all cases. Kwok 2012

Is cryotherapy better than salicylic acid?

  • It depends on the type of wart, its location, the patient’s age, and pain tolerance. Cryotherapy can be helpful, but it is not necessarily superior in all cases. For plantar warts, one clinical trial found no significant difference compared to salicylic acid. (Cockayne 2011)

Can I go to a swimming pool if I have a plantar wart?

  • In general, yes, but it’s advisable to cover the wart if it’s exposed, avoid sharing towels, wear sandals in shared showers, and avoid touching the lesion. These measures reduce the risk of transmission and self-inoculation.

Bibliography and sources

Tags

Categories: For everyone

Share
Dr. Rodolfo Suárez

Content reviewed by

Dr. Rodolfo Suárez

Médico Patólogo y Dermatólogo Master en Patología Cutánea Avanzada

Published
September 18, 2026
Updated
September 23, 2026

Medically reviewed by specialists

Our content is based on current scientific evidence and clinical protocols.

Learn about our editorial process