When your teenage daughter notices a tiny, spiky bump on her neck just before an important recital, it can suddenly feel like the most important thing in the world.
Especially when she’s getting ready for stage makeup, fixing her hair, choosing a costume, or standing under bright recital lights, even the smallest skin bump can seem impossible to ignore.
But before reaching for a razor, tweezers, or a strong wart-removal product, take a breath.
A small, thread-like or finger-shaped skin growth on the neck can have several possible causes. One possibility is a filiform wart, but other growths—including skin tags and other benign lesions—can sometimes look similar.
The appearance alone isn’t enough to make a diagnosis.
The good news is that there are some sensible things you can do tonight to keep the area from becoming irritated before the recital.
What Is a Filiform Wart?
A filiform wart is a type of wart associated with certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV).
Unlike the familiar rough, rounded warts that often appear on hands or fingers, filiform warts tend to be thin, elongated, and finger-like.
They can look almost like a tiny thread, spike, brush bristle, or narrow piece of skin projecting outward.
They commonly occur around areas of the face and neck, although they can appear elsewhere.
A filiform wart may be:
