Warts

What Causes Warts?
Warts are harmless skin growths caused by a virus. Warts can grow on any part of the body. Their appearance depends on their location. On the face and tops of the hands warts protrude, while on such pressure areas as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet they're pushed inward. Warts on the bottoms of the feet (called plantar warts) grow inward from the pressure of standing and walking and are often painful. Warts have a rough surface on which tiny dark specks can often be seen.

Warts are common and can be a nuisance. They may bleed if injured. Warts never turn cancerous.

Since warts are caused by a virus, they are slightly contagious. Warts may spread on the body since a wart is the source of a virus that can seed other areas. We don't know why some persons get warts easily while others never get them. There's no way to prevent warts.

People have been trying to cure warts for thousands of years. The "success" of folk remedies for warts is due to the fact that warts often disappear by themselves, especially in young children. This spontaneous disappearance is less common in older children and adults.