Wart vs. Mole

Key Differences

A wart can be very painful when it gets infected; on the other hand, mole hardly ever causes the pain.

Samantha Walker

Jul 07, 2019

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A wart is a rough outgrowth that appears commonly on the hands, fingers, or the soles of the feet, whereas a mole is a pigmentation anywhere in the skin that usually appears in many different colors.

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Warts can be spread from a person to another by direct contact conversely moles are not thought to be contagious.

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Warts are mainly white or pale, while moles have many different colors such as black, red, or brown. Wart and moles are not severe or serious skin outgrowths.

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Comparison Chart

Wart and Mole Definitions

Wart vs. Mole

A wart and a mole are the two different skin abnormalities. A wart is a rough outgrowth that appears commonly on the hands, fingers or the soles of the feet. They may also appear on the other parts of the body like arms, face, legs and in the genital or anal area. A mole is a pigmentation anywhere in the skin that usually appears in many different colors. The viral infection of a small clump of skin cells causes a wart. In rare cases, warts can be spread from one person to another by direct contact. Moles are not thought to be contagious. They cannot be spread to another person. Moles are mostly made up of a clump of skin pigment cells that are known as melanocytes. Scientists believe that moles are genetic. They sometimes often appear after prolonged exposure to sunlight. Warts are mainly white or pale and are usually visible as a harmful skin problem. Mole has many different colors, such as black, red, or brown. Wart and moles are not severe or serious skin outgrowths. However, the wart is usually painless, but it can be very painful when it gets infected and inflamed. A mole hardly ever causes the pain. It can be either bump on the skin or appears flat. When we consider their size, warts may be large or small in size.

What is Wart?

Warts are the skin outgrowths that don’t usually appear throughout the whole body. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of wart. The same family of viruses causes all warts. The appearance of warts may change depending on where they are found on the body. The warts are highly contagious. Picking or touching them spread them to other areas of the body, including your face or other people. Warts need no treatment to disappear. They usually end up on their own. But warts on the face and the genital area must be checked and treated by a doctor. Warts have a rough texture. They vary in their color, ranging from light to dark, reaching black. They usually appear on the hands of an individual. Plantar warts appear on the soles of the feet. Other types of warts can appear near or under the nails. Warts also appear in genital areas, between the thighs and sometimes in the anal canal or the vagina. Typically, they are not harmful to the individual. However, genital warts can lead to the development of cancer so a doctor should check these. Genital warts also spread through sexual contact.

Types

• Common warts (these can be anywhere from the size of a pinhead to the size of a pea).
• Plantar warts ( these develop on the bottom side of the foot and appear flat, almost like a callus. Sometimes it appears in clusters, called mosaic warts).
• Flat warts (small, about 1/8 of an inch in diameter)
• Filiform warts (develop around the lips and eyelids as long, thin projections of skin).
• Genital warts (these develop on the skin of the genitalia, spread by sexual contact).

What is Mole?

Moles are the fairly common skin outgrowths. People have essentially at least a few moles in their body. Moles are pretty harmless. Moles are of a dark color or brown color. Some of them may appear yellowish or even red. Moles vary in texture and size. Some of them are very small, while others can be very big and quite noticeable. Some moles are just flat that does not rise above skin level. Moles are also called nevi. They are a collection of melanocytes which are the skin cells that give skin its pigment. Light-skinned people tend to have a large number of moles. It is so normal for a person to have between 10 and 40 moles. Moles are mostly made up of a clump of skin pigment cells, known as Melanocytes. They also appear because of the direct exposure of the sunlight for a longer period. Moles can also be genetic.

Types

• Congenital mole (mole you are born with. People with giant congenital moles are at high risk of developing skin cancer).
• Acquired mole (mole that appears after you are born. It is normal for anyone to have 10 to 40 acquired moles. A person with more than 50 acquired moles is at high risk of developing skin cancer).
• Dysplastic mole (an atypical mole that can closely resemble melanoma, irregularly-shaped (not round), or have different shades of color).
• Spitz nevus (a pink, raised, a dome-shaped mole that mostly develops during the first 20 years of a person’s life, may bleed or ooze).

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