Common warts
Usually found on the hands, fingers and elbows, and on the knees in children under 12, but they can occur anywhere on the body. In appearance, they are rough, scaly, pink or skin-coloured papules with a papillomatous rough surface, usually of less than 1 cm diameter but can be larger, and occur singly or in groups (mosaic warts). They are normally painless.

Verrucas
Occur on the plantar surface (sole) of the foot and are painful because of downward pressure on nerve endings in the skin. They most commonly occur where the ball of the foot is exposed to pressure, and are often sore to touch and to stand or walk on. They appear as areas of flat, thickened skin with a harder edge around a softer centre and may be confused with plantar callus. On closer examination, or rubbing away the surface with a file or emery board, small black spots (telangiectasia, the ends of broken blood capillaries) can be seen. Occasionally, several verrucas appear together and coalesce to form a single large plaque.