Most of the spots that appear on the skin tend to look the same, but there is a significant difference between them. It is important to understand how to differentiate these skin blemishes for effective treatment. One of those confusing skin spots is moles and warts . Let’s see then what is a place and what is a wart, their difference and also what treatments are available for both.
The differences between a mole and a wart
To understand the difference between a mole and a wart, let’s first understand what each thing is. Moles are the concentrated dark circle on the skin that formed due to the accumulation of skin cells in one place instead of spreading evenly across the skin. Warts , on the other hand, are a small growth that grows on the skin and has a rough texture that looks a bit like the shape of a cauliflower .
What exactly are moles?
Moles are very common skin spots that appear on the skin of most humans. These generally grow from a young age until the person reaches adulthood. In general, a person has between 10 and 40 moles on their body. Polka dots have a circular structure with colors that vary from different shades of black or brown. The size of a mole is also different depending on the type of mole. On the other hand, many people notice moles appear when their skin is exposed to the sun for a long time.
Although moles have a chance of developing into skin cancer, the chance of it occurring is very rare.
What exactly are warts?
Instead warts are caused by a virus that comes from the human papillomavirus (HPV) family. The way a wart appears depends entirely on its location on the body and the thickness of the person’s skin.
Palmar warts appear on the hand while plantar warts appear on a person’s feet. Warts mainly affect children , as studies have shown that 1 in 3 children suffer from it, but in adults, it is only 3-5%. This could be great due to the increase in a person’s immune system as they grow from child to adult.
How do we differentiate between moles and warts?
Now that we have understood the basic definition of moles and warts, let’s understand how to differentiate between these two. The difference can be identified based on the appearance of these completely different skin spots and other minute details. Here are the key tips for identifying and differentiating a mole from a wart:
- Mole : As mentioned above, the mole is the most common skin spot and is present in a considerable amount all over the skin. To identify it, see if the skin spot is dark in color (brown or black) since then it is a mole. Also, if when you touch the skin spot it feels smooth, then it is a mole. Lastly, if the dark spot is on the arms, chest, face, and back, then it is a mole.
- Wart : They can be of several types and can be easily differentiated. The main difference that one must understand about wart is that it is contagious as it is a virus and must be treated immediately. To identify it, you should know that if the skin spot is colorless, rough, is present on the hands, feet, elbows or knees, and it looks like a small ball on the skin, then it is a wart.
How to treat warts and moles?
Now when it comes to treatment, things get complicated. Moles, for the most part, are harmless. Although there is a chance that the mole will turn into skin cancer, the chances are very rare. But when it comes to warts, they are viruses, and since they are contagious, they need to be treated as soon as possible so they don’t spread.
For warts, there are many over-the-counter products that can be applied , but it is a painful procedure and many people can’t stand it and leave it halfway through. The best treatment for warts is to contact the dermatologist who would freeze the wart.
For moles, if the dermatologist after the analysis believes that it may cause cancer, they remove it through procedures such as laser therapy or with a small surgical incision.
