Do black dots mean wart

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated September 13, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Warts and verrucas

Warts and verrucas are small lumps on the skin that most people have at some point in their life. They usually go away on their own but may take months or even years.

Check if you have a wart or verruca

Warts feel firm and rough. They can appear on palms, knuckles, knees and fingers.

Warts are usually skin coloured but may appear darker on black or brown skin.

You can get verrucas on your feet. They have tiny black dots under the hard skin.

Some warts are round, flat and can be yellow (plane warts). You can have many of them.

Clusters of warts spread over an area of skin (mosaic warts) are common on feet and hands.

Warts are not harmful, but some people find them itchy, painful or embarrassing. Verrucas are more likely to be painful like standing on a needle.

You can treat warts if they bother you, keep coming back or are painful.

A pharmacist can help with warts and verrucas

You can buy creams, plasters and sprays from pharmacies to treat warts and verrucas.

These treatments can take up to 3 months to complete, may irritate your skin and do not always work. You should not use these treatments on your face.

Your pharmacist can give you advice about the best treatment for you.

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

you're worried about a growth on your skin
you have a wart or verruca that keeps coming back
you have a very large or painful wart or verruca
you have a wart that bleeds or changes in how it looks
you have a wart on your face or genitals

Treatments for warts and verrucas

A GP may be able to freeze a wart or verruca so it falls off a few weeks later. Sometimes it takes a few sessions.

Check with the GP if the NHS pays for this treatment in your area.

If treatment has not worked or you have a wart on your face, the GP might refer you to a skin specialist (dermatologist).

If you have a large or very painful verruca, you may be referred to a foot specialist (podiatrist).

A podiatrist can provide a number of treatments including:

stronger medicines than you can get from a pharmacist
freezing the verruca using liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy)
surgery to remove the verruca using a scalpel or laser

You can also pay to see a podiatrist privately.

How to stop warts and verrucas spreading

Warts and verrucas are caused by a virus. They can be spread to other people from contaminated surfaces or through close skin contact.

You're more likely to spread a wart or verruca if your skin is wet or damaged.

It can take months for a wart or verruca to appear after contact with the virus.

There are things you can do to help stop warts or verrucas spreading to other people.

Do

wash your hands after touching a wart or verruca
change your socks daily if you have a verruca
cover warts and verrucas with a plaster when swimming
take care not to cut a wart when shaving

Dont

do not share towels, flannels, socks or shoes if you have a wart or verruca
do not bite your nails or suck fingers with warts on
do not walk barefoot in public places if you have a verruca
do not scratch or pick a wart

Page last reviewed: 25 July 2023 Next review due: 25 July 2026

What are the signs that wart removal is successful?

Some warts disappear over time, but others may need treatment. With wart medications, such as salicylic acid, the wart should peel away in stages until it is as flat as the skin. If this does not happen, the treatment may not be working.

Warts are harmless growths that often appear on the hands and feet. People looking to remove warts can self-treat them at home or seek medical advice.

If a person has a weakened immune system or an underlying health condition, such as diabetes, they should check with a doctor before removing any warts.

This article looks at the different types of warts and the treatment options. It also explains how to know when wart treatment has been effective.

Warts are harmless skin growths that vary in appearance depending on their type. They can occur anywhere on the body but commonly affect the hands.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) causes warts, which can readily pass between people in close contact.

Wart treatments work by removing the wart rather than curing HPV. Due to this, warts may reoccur after treatment because the virus remains.

About twothirds of warts resolve by themselves over 1224 months, leaving no scarring or side effects.

However, if this is not the case or a person wishes to remove warts quickly, various treatment options are available.

Salicylic acid

Several over-the-counter products containing salicylic acid are available for people to apply topically to a common wart.

Many of these products require wart filing. This is where a person uses a nail file to file down the dead skin of the wart before applying the salicylic acid.

The wart virus is transmissible through contact with used nail files, so a person should dispose of the nail files after every use.

Daily treatment with salicylic acid removes warts within 12 weeks in 70% of cases.

Duct tape

There is no clear evidence that duct tape wart removal is effective and no guidance on how long it might take. The idea behind this approach is that applying new duct tape to a wart every few days may gradually remove layers of the wart.

A person can try this method easily at home, but it is important to note that it may not work and some people may experience side effects, such as skin reactions and bleeding.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the wart, which causes the surface layers to peel off.

People need regular treatments every 12 weeks to prevent the wart from growing back. After 34 months of treatment, cryotherapy effectively removes warts in about 70% of cases.

However, cryotherapy can cause blistering, lasting several days or weeks. It can also cause permanent white marks on the skin and may lead to temporary numbness in the treatment area.

Electrosurgery and curettage

Electrosurgery and curettage use heat to burn away the base of the wart. This type of treatment can treat large warts that have not responded to other treatments, but there are some downsides:

The wound can take 2 weeks or more to heal.
In 20% of cases, warts can reoccur.
Electrosurgery and curettage can cause permanent scarring, which can be painful.

Other treatments

Other treatments for warts include:

laser treatment, if other methods are not effective
injection of bleomycin (Blenoxane)
immunotherapy, such as imiquimod (Aldara), to encourage the immune system to fight the virus

Wart medications, such as salicylic acid, gradually peel away layers of a wart until it reaches the same level as the skin. People may notice the wart becoming flatter over time.

When a doctor performs a procedure to treat a wart, its removal may be much quicker.

For instance, the doctor may apply cantharidin (Cantharone) to the wart, which causes a blister to form underneath it. About 1 week after treatment, the doctor can cut away the dead wart.

After receiving wart medications, such as salicylic acid or cryotherapy, the wart should peel away in stages until it is as flat as the skin.

Generally, when a wart is beginning to fall off, a person may experience:

after cryotherapy, some soreness or blisters forming in the wart area
the skin of the wart drying and peeling off
the wart becoming lighter in color
the wart shrinking or flattening
the skin of the wart continuing to peel and fall off until it is at the same level as the skin

After salicylic acid and filing, the base of the wart begins to look like typical skin but with small black dots or a grainy appearance. A person should continue filing until these have disappeared.

According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD), people need to keep using wart medication until the wart is no longer visible and looks the same as the surrounding skin. People should not be able to see any black dots or areas of grainy texture.

The AOCD also recommends pausing treatment if the wart or surrounding area becomes sore or bleeds. People may need to miss a day of treatment and continue the following day or once the irritation stops.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends taking the following steps to heal a wart heal more quickly:

Using treatment rather than waiting for the wart to go away by itself, which takes longer and gives the virus more chance to transmit.
Covering the wart to help prevent HPV from passing on to others or spreading to other areas.
Washing the hands straight away after touching or applying treatment to a wart to help stop the virus from transmitting.
Avoiding shaving over an area of skin with a wart, as it can create small tears in the wart and spread HPV to the surrounding area.

People can reduce their risk of getting warts by:

Avoiding touching another persons wart.
Avoiding sharing towels, razors, or other personal items with anyone who has a wart.
Covering any cuts or broken skin, as cuts make it easier for HPV to enter the body.
Washing the hands frequently to help reduce the chances of getting HPV on the skin.
Refraining from biting the nail or cuticles, as any skin openings can allow HPV to enter.
Wearing flip-flops on wet floors, such as swimming pools or public showers, as moist environments increase HPV risk.

People should consult a doctor before self-treating warts if they have:

any suspicion that growths on the skin are something other than warts
a wart on the face or genitals
multiple warts
a wart that is painful or itchy or that burns or bleeds
a weakened immune system
diabetes, particularly if warts are on the feet

People can also consult a doctor if they are not sure about the best treatment method for removing warts or if self-treatment does not work.

HPV causes warts, which are harmless growths on the skin. The virus can pass easily to others.

A range of treatments, including home remedies and medical procedures, can remove warts.

People with a weakened immune system or diabetes should consult a doctor before using any wart removal treatment. People should also seek medical advice if they have warts on the face or genitals.

Seed Warts: What You Should Know

Seed warts are tiny seed-like spots on your skin. They are moderately contagious and are caused by HPV.

What are seed warts?

Seed warts are small, benign skin growths that form on the body. They have distinct tiny spots or seeds that distinguish them from other types of warts. Seed warts are caused by a viral infection.

These infections are contagious, and can be bothersome. Its important to understand how the infection passes from person to person, as well as what you can do to protect yourself.

If you develop a skin lesion, it may be difficult to determine the type and cause. Seed warts are usually small and flesh-colored. They are hard or firm to the touch. The appearance of seed warts varies. Some warts are flat and others are raised, depending on their location.

The distinguishing feature of these warts is their tiny spots or seeds. These spots are small clotted blood vessels.

Seed warts can form on the bottom of your feet. For this reason, some seed warts flatten over time due to walking, standing, or running. These warts can also develop on the base of your toes or on your heels. In addition to causing tiny black spots and being firm, seed warts can also cause pain or tenderness if you walk or stand for an extended period.

Seed warts are a viral infection caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). This virus, which affects the superficial layer of skin, is a contagious virus and can spread from person to person through direct and indirect contact. If you have close physical contact with someone who has the virus, you may also develop a seed wart.

Because seed warts can appear on the bottom of the feet, the toes, and heel, you can also pick up the virus in public areas. These areas include swimming pools, changing rooms, and workout gyms.

A floor surface can become contaminated when a person with a seed wart walks across it barefoot. This allows the infection to spread to other people who walk barefoot on the same surface.

Although seed warts are contagious, they arent highly contagious. Coming in contact with an infected surface doesnt mean that youll get the virus and develop warts.

Some people are at a higher risk for seed warts. These include people:

with a history of warts
with a weakened immune system
who frequently walk barefoot

A doctor can usually identify a seed wart from its appearance. Your doctor may specifically check to see if the wart contains dark spots or blood clots.

If your doctor cant identify the wart after a visual examination, the next step is to remove a section of the wart and send it to a lab for analysis. This can determine whether you have a seed wart or another type of skin lesion.

Developing a seed wart doesnt typically require a visit to your doctor. However, you should see a doctor if you experience any bleeding or pain from the wart. Seed warts found on the bottom of the foot can cause intense pain. This pain can interfere with your daily routine if youre unable to put pressure on your foot.

You can also see your doctor if the wart doesnt improve or respond to treatment. Or if youre concerned that the lesion isnt a wart, but rather another skin disorder. Your doctor can confirm or rule out a seed wart.

Seed warts dont usually require treatment and often go away on their own in time. In the meantime, theres plenty of remedies to ease symptoms and potentially speed the healing process.

Wear comfortable shoes

Wear well-cushioned, comfortable shoes to reduce pressure on the bottom of your feet. This can relieve pain and make it easier to walk or stand. Also, stay off of your feet as much as possible until the pain subsides.

Try over-the-counter medications

Another option is over-the-counter medications containing salicylic acid (Compound W Freeze Off and Dr. Scholls Freeze Away). These medications freeze off warts and slowly break down a warts layers.

Cover with duct tape

Duct tape is another remedy for seed warts. This method gradually removes layers of the wart. To use this method:

Cover the wart with a piece of duct tape, after a few days, remove the duct tape.
Clean the seed wart and then reapply another piece of duct tape.
Scrape away any dead, peeling skin with a pumice stone each time you remove the duct tape.
Continue this process until the seed wart is gone.

See your doctor

For a hard-to-treat seed wart, your doctor may remove the wart using one of the following methods:

excision (cutting off the wart with a scissors or scalpel)
electrosurgery (burning off the wart with high-frequency electrical energy)
cryotherapy (freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen)
laser treatment (destroying the wart with an intense beam of light)

If your seed wart doesnt respond to treatment, your doctor may suggest immunotherapy to strengthen your immune system so that it can fight the viral infection. You may receive an injection of interferon alfa (Intron A, Roferon A) to boost your immune system, or the topical immunotherapy diphencyprone (Diphenylcyclopropenone).

You can also talk to your doctor about getting the HPV vaccine if your seed wart doesnt respond to treatment. This vaccine has been used to treat warts.

Most seed warts go away with treatment. Even if you dont seek treatment, the wart may eventually disappear, although theres no way to know how long itll take to heal. After treating one seed wart, other warts can appear in or around the same spot. This can happen if the virus remains in your body.

To avoid spreading a seed wart to other parts of your body, dont pick or touch the wart. If you apply topical medication to the wart, wash your hands afterwards. If you have a seed wart on the bottom of your foot, change your socks and wash your feet daily.