Filliform warts versus skin tags

How to tell the difference between a filiform wart and a skin tag?

The majority of warts have a very distinct appearance, looking like little rough bumps usually round in shape and less than one centimetre wide.

However, one type of wart which can often be confused with a skin tag is the filiform wart. The filiform wart is caused by a subtype of the HPV virus. More than 70 subtypes of the HPV virus are known, each causing different types of warts on different parts of the body.

Filiform warts

Filiform warts quite often have finger-like projections. On close inspection they will resemble a small hand with slim fingers stretching out. They almost always will have the same colour as the surrounding skin. They have a tendency to grow very fast and can grow up to 10 mm in just a few months. They will grow outward but usually do not increase greatly in width. Filiform warts are usually found on the face, around the eyes, mouth and nostrils. However, they can at times also be found on other areas of the body.

Skin tags

Skin tags are not caused by a virus. Unlike filiform warts they do not have finger-like projections, but often have a distinct stalk with what resembles a deflated balloon at the end. The colour is often the same as the surrounding skin, but they can also be darker in colour. Skin tags can grow as wide as 5 cm, but usually are just a few mm in size. Skin tags tend to appear in skin folds where there is rubbing of the skin, but can also be caused by clothes and jewellery repeatedly rubbing against the skin. The most common areas for skin tags to appear is around the neck, in the groin or armpit and under the breasts, however they can appear anywhere on the body.

Always get a doctor's opinion in case of any unusual lesions.

Both skin tags and filiform warts can be removed easily and effectively at the clinic in North London.