The Bottom Line

Common warts are benign (harmless) skin growths caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). They're extremely common — affecting up to 50% of children at some point in childhood. About 50% of warts resolve on their own within 2 years, and up to 90% clear within 5 years without any treatment. When they don't go away, or when they're in a bothersome location, treatments like salicylic acid, cryotherapy (freezing), or other dermatologist procedures can help. Warts don't need to be treated urgently — but treatment is reasonable when they cause discomfort, embarrassment, or keep spreading.

What Are Common Warts?

Common warts (verruca vulgaris) are small, rough skin growths caused by infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) — specifically HPV types 2, 4, and 7. These are completely different from the HPV types that cause genital warts or are linked to cancer. Common warts in children are benign, cannot become cancerous, and are a normal part of childhood for many families.

HPV infects the top layer of skin (the epidermis), causing skin cells to grow faster than usual and form the characteristic rough, bumpy wart. Warts are most common in children aged 10–20 years, though they can appear at any age.

What Do Common Warts Look Like?

Common warts are hard to miss once you know what to look for:

  • Rough, bumpy surface that feels like sandpaper or cauliflower compared to surrounding smooth skin
  • Color: Tan, gray, or skin-colored — sometimes with a slightly darker or brownish tint
  • Black dots: Tiny black or dark specks visible on the wart surface. These are thrombosed (clotted) capillaries — tiny blood vessels that fed the wart. The presence of these "seeds" is reassuring that it's a wart.
  • Size: A few millimeters to a centimeter or more
  • Shape: Dome-shaped on fingers and hands; may be flatter on the face; deeply embedded and painful on the soles of the feet (plantar warts)
  • Location: Most common on hands and fingers, especially around and under the nails (periungual warts). Also occur on feet, knees, elbows, and face.

How Do Children Get Warts?

Warts spread through direct contact with the HPV virus — either from another person's wart or from a contaminated surface. The virus enters through tiny cuts, scrapes, or areas of broken skin. Key transmission situations:

  • Shaking hands or touching another child's wart
  • Walking barefoot in pool areas or locker rooms (for plantar warts)
  • Biting nails or picking at fingers (autoinoculation — spreading to new spots on your own body)
  • Sharing towels or sports equipment

Most children who are exposed to HPV do not develop warts — the immune system clears the virus before it can take hold. Children with eczema, cuts, or compromised immunity are more susceptible. If your child develops multiple warts that spread rapidly, mention this to your doctor.

Should Warts Always Be Treated?

Not necessarily. Because about 50% of warts clear within 2 years on their own — and 90% within 5 years — watchful waiting is a reasonable approach for warts that are:

  • Not causing pain or discomfort
  • Not in an embarrassing or highly visible location
  • Not spreading rapidly

On the other hand, treatment makes sense when warts are painful (plantar warts on the bottom of the foot), in an awkward location (around the nail), spreading rapidly to new sites, causing social embarrassment for your child, or your child has an immune system condition that makes natural resolution less likely.

There is no treatment that works 100% of the time or that prevents recurrence — but effective options exist, and a dermatologist can help you choose the right approach for your child.

Treatment Options

At-Home Treatments

  • Salicylic acid products (first-line for at-home use): Over-the-counter gels, liquids, or patches (Compound W, Dr. Scholl's). Applied daily after soaking and filing the wart with an emery board. Requires consistent use for weeks to months. Works by gradually peeling away the wart tissue. More effective than doing nothing, though still takes time.
  • Duct tape: A popular home remedy — covering the wart with duct tape and refreshing it regularly. Evidence is mixed, but it carries essentially no risk and some children respond well.

In-Office Treatments

  • Cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen freezing): The doctor applies liquid nitrogen to the wart, freezing and destroying the tissue. A blister forms and the wart tissue sloughs off over 1–2 weeks. Multiple sessions (3–6 weeks apart) are usually needed. Can be painful for young children — discuss comfort options with your doctor.
  • Cantharidin: A painless liquid applied in the office that causes a blister to form under the wart, lifting it off the skin. Often well-tolerated by children. Requires a follow-up appointment to remove the blister and debris.
  • Immunotherapy: A doctor injects or applies an antigen (like Candida antigen) to the wart to trigger the immune system's response. Useful for widespread, treatment-resistant warts.
  • Laser therapy: Used for difficult or extensive warts. Pulsed dye laser targets the blood vessels feeding the wart.
  • Surgical removal: For large or recalcitrant warts; uses a curette (scraping tool) or excision. Not typically first-line due to scarring risk.

Most dermatologists use a combination approach — for example, cryotherapy in the office combined with daily salicylic acid at home between visits.

When to See a Dermatologist

  • Warts are painful, especially plantar warts causing difficulty walking
  • Warts are around or under the nails and affecting nail growth
  • Multiple warts are spreading rapidly to new areas
  • Home treatment with salicylic acid for 2–3 months hasn't worked
  • You're not sure whether the growth is a wart — some skin lesions can look like warts but need different treatment
  • Your child has a weakened immune system

Frequently Asked Questions

My child keeps getting new warts. Will this ever stop?

New warts tend to stop appearing as the immune system builds a response to HPV — usually over 1–5 years. Autoinoculation (spreading by scratching or picking) can accelerate the process. Encourage your child not to pick at warts, keep the skin in good condition, and keep warts covered (with a bandage or waterproof tape) during swimming and sports to reduce spread. In children with many recurring warts, a dermatologist can assess whether an immune issue is contributing.

Can my child go to the pool or gym with warts?

Yes, but covering the wart with a waterproof bandage during swimming reduces the small risk of transmission to others. There's no need to avoid swimming altogether. For plantar warts, wearing flip-flops in pool areas and locker rooms is always a good habit.

Do wart treatments hurt?

It depends on the treatment. Salicylic acid and cantharidin are typically painless (cantharidin may cause discomfort as the blister develops). Cryotherapy can be briefly painful — most children over 5–6 years tolerate it well with some distraction, but younger children may find it very distressing. Talk to your dermatologist about age-appropriate options for your child.

Could a skin growth that looks like a wart be something else?

Yes — molluscum contagiosum, sebaceous cysts, corns, and occasionally more serious growths can resemble warts. If you're uncertain, have a dermatologist take a look. Most warts are unmistakable with their rough surface and black dots, but a professional evaluation provides confidence.

  1. Sterling JC, et al. Guidelines for the management of cutaneous warts. Br J Dermatol. 2001;144(1):4–11.
  2. Bacelieri R, Johnson SM. Cutaneous warts: an evidence-based approach to therapy. Am Fam Physician. 2005;72(4):647–652.
  3. Bruggink SC, et al. Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen versus topical salicylic acid application for cutaneous warts in primary care. CMAJ. 2010;182(15):1624–1630.
  4. Kwok CS, et al. Topical treatments for cutaneous warts. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;9:CD001781.

Trusted Resources

Always consult a board-certified dermatologist if you're unsure about a skin growth on your child or if warts aren't responding to over-the-counter treatments.