Back-to-school season means new classrooms, sports teams, playgrounds, gyms—and a lot more close contact. It is also a common time for parents to notice new bumps, crusted spots, or spreading lesions on a child’s skin.
Three conditions that often generate questions are warts, molluscum contagiosum, and impetigo. They can all spread from person to person, but they are caused by different organisms and are treated differently.
Q: What do common warts look like?
A: Warts are caused by human papillomavirus, or HPV. Common warts often feel rough and firm and may appear on the hands, fingers, knees, or other areas exposed to small cuts and friction. Plantar warts develop on the soles of the feet and can be painful when standing or walking.
Warts can spread through direct contact and through shared surfaces, particularly when the skin barrier is disrupted.
Q: What is molluscum contagiosum?
A: Molluscum is caused by a virus and is especially common in children. It typically produces small, smooth, dome-shaped bumps, often with a tiny central indentation. The bumps may be skin-colored, pink, or lighter or darker depending on skin tone.
Molluscum can spread through skin-to-skin contact and shared towels, clothing, kickboards, wrestling mats, or sports equipment. Children with eczema can be particularly prone to developing surrounding irritation and spreading lesions through scratching.
Q: What does impetigo look like?
A: Impetigo is a bacterial skin infection. It can begin as small blisters or sores that break and develop characteristic crusting. It is highly contagious and can spread quickly among children through direct contact or shared items.
Unlike a wart or molluscum bump, impetigo often looks more inflamed, moist, crusted, or rapidly spreading and should be evaluated for appropriate treatment.
Q: Does my child need to stay home from school?
A: That depends on the diagnosis, whether lesions can be covered, treatment status, school policy, and the type of activity. Impetigo is particularly contagious, and a clinician can advise when your child can safely return.
For sports such as wrestling, football, gymnastics, and other close-contact activities, coaches and leagues may have additional rules about active skin infections.
Q: How can we reduce spread at home and school?
- Encourage regular handwashing.
- Avoid picking or scratching bumps and sores.
- Keep fingernails trimmed.
- Do not share towels, razors, helmets, pads, or clothing.
- Wash sports clothing and equipment regularly.
- Cover lesions when your clinician recommends it.
- Treat eczema and dry skin so there are fewer breaks in the skin barrier.
Q: When should a child see a dermatologist?
A: Schedule an evaluation when the diagnosis is unclear, lesions are spreading quickly, bumps are painful or bleeding, a rash looks infected, there is significant eczema around the lesions, or the problem is affecting sports, school, sleep, or confidence.
Some warts and molluscum lesions eventually resolve on their own, but treatment may be appropriate depending on the location, number of lesions, symptoms, risk of spread, and impact on the child. Impetigo generally deserves medical evaluation because treatment can help control the infection and reduce transmission.
Back-to-school skin problems are common, and most are very treatable once the diagnosis is clear. Borealis Dermatology sees pediatric patients of all ages and skin types and offers medical and urgent dermatology care.
Borealis Dermatology sees patients in Garden City, Syosset, and Bellerose, NY. Book Appointment.
For an individual assessment, explore our pediatric dermatology.
Continue reading about the difference between warts and skin tags and when a rash needs a dermatologist.
Related care: Warts in children · Molluscum contagiosum · Impetigo