HPV (human papillomavirus) causes growths that look different depending on where they appear on the body and which strain of the virus is involved. Some show up as small, rough bumps on the hands or feet. Others appear as soft, flesh-colored growths in the genital area. And in many cases, HPV causes no visible symptoms at all. Here’s what each type looks like and where it tends to show up.
Genital Warts
Genital warts are the most recognizable sign of HPV in the genital area. They typically appear as flesh-colored or slightly darker soft growths on or around the genitals, anus, or upper thighs. Their texture is often described as resembling a tiny cauliflower, with a rough, bumpy surface, though not all genital warts look this way. Some are flat and smooth, some are raised with a rounded top, and others sit on a narrow stalk (like a small skin tag).
They can appear as a single bump or in clusters. Left untreated, they may stay the same size, grow larger, multiply, or resolve on their own. The color ranges from skin-toned to slightly pink, tan, or darker than the surrounding skin. A wart that looks unusual, such as one that’s deeply pigmented, bleeding, ulcerated, or feels firmly fixed to the tissue underneath, should be evaluated by a clinician to rule out something more serious.
Genital warts usually appear two to three months after exposure to the virus, though the timeline can range anywhere from one to 20 months. That delay makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly when the infection happened.
Flat Warts
Flat warts look quite different from genital warts. They’re smooth, tiny bumps, each about 1 to 5 millimeters across (roughly the size of a pinhead). They’re only slightly raised, sometimes barely noticeable to the eye, and can be yellowish-brown, pink, or skin-colored. Their shape is round or oval.
The defining feature of flat warts is that they almost always appear in clusters, sometimes grouping together in patches of 100 or more. They show up most often on the face and the backs of the hands. Because shaving can spread the virus along tiny nicks in the skin, flat warts commonly appear along the jawline and chin in men and on the legs in women. You might also notice them along scratches, cuts, or on the fingers and arms.
Common Warts and Plantar Warts
Common warts are the rough, dome-shaped bumps most people picture when they think of a wart. They’re firm, slightly raised, and have a grainy texture on top, sometimes with tiny dark dots (these are small clotted blood vessels, not “seeds”). They appear most often on the fingers, hands, and around the nails.
Plantar warts grow on the soles of the feet. Because body weight presses them flat, they grow inward rather than outward, making them look like a thick, hard patch of skin with a small central spot. Walking on them can feel like stepping on a pebble. They may have the same dark dots as common warts. Both types are caused by HPV strains different from those that cause genital warts.
HPV in the Mouth and Throat
Oral HPV can produce small warts or sores on the lips, inside the mouth, or in the throat, though many oral infections cause no symptoms at all. When visible growths do form, they tend to appear as small, painless bumps on the tongue, soft palate, or inner cheek.
The greater concern with oral HPV is its link to oropharyngeal cancer. HPV-related cancers in this area usually start as a tiny lump in the tonsils or at the base of the tongue. Early signs can include a persistent sore throat, a lump in the neck or cheek, or a white or red patch on the tonsils. These cancers often develop years or even decades after the initial infection, so the visible symptoms may appear long after exposure.
When HPV Has No Visible Signs
Most HPV infections never produce visible warts or lesions. The virus can live in skin and mucosal cells without causing any noticeable changes, a state known as subclinical infection. These invisible infections are extremely common and usually clear on their own as the immune system suppresses the virus over time.
There is a clinical technique where a dilute acetic acid solution is applied to the skin, causing HPV-affected areas to temporarily turn white. However, health authorities do not recommend this as a routine screening tool because the results don’t change how the infection is managed. Standard HPV tests detect the virus’s genetic material in cervical cells and are used specifically for cervical cancer screening in women 25 and older. There is no approved HPV test for men, and HPV tests are not used to diagnose genital warts (those are diagnosed visually).
Conditions That Look Like HPV but Aren’t
Several harmless skin variations get mistaken for HPV warts. Pearly penile papules, which are tiny, smooth, dome-shaped bumps arranged in a ring around the head of the penis, are a normal anatomical feature, not a sign of infection. Similarly, vestibular papillomatosis describes small, finger-like projections at the opening of the vagina that are also completely normal.
Other things that can mimic the look of genital warts include skin tags, Fordyce spots (small yellowish-white bumps that are visible oil glands), moles, and hymenal remnants. Some skin conditions like lichen planus or psoriasis can also be confused for HPV-related changes. If you’re unsure whether a bump or growth is a wart or something else, a visual exam by a healthcare provider is the fastest way to tell the difference. Most warts are distinct enough to identify on sight without any testing.