Warts are bumps that may show up on your body, often on your hands and feet. While not benign (not cancerous) skin growths, they can appear when a virus infects the top layer of the skin. Viruses that cause warts are called human papillomavirus (HPV). You’re more likely to get one of these viruses if you cut or damage your skin in some way.
Wart viruses are contagious and can spread by contact with the wart or something that touched the wart. They’re often skin-colored and feel rough, but they can be dark brown or gray-black, flat and smooth.
There are a few different types of warts, but they all have common traits: they grow most often on the fingers, around the nails, and on the backs of the hands. They’re more common where skin was broken from biting fingernails or picking at hangnails. They can have black dots that look like seeds (often called “seed” warts), and most often feel like rough bumps.
Warts are not serious, but they may spread easily.
Warts are harmless growths that occur when the skin becomes infected with a strain of the human papillomavirus (HPV). The virus enters the skin through a small cut or scrape, causing the skin to thicken and form a raised bump.
Warts are contagious and can be spread through direct skin-to-skin contact or by touching contaminated surfaces. They commonly develop on the hands and feet, but can also appear on other parts of the body. While anyone can get warts, children and individuals with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk.
There are different types of warts, which vary in appearance and location on the body. Common warts are rough bumps that often appear on the hands, fingers, and around the nails. Filiform warts resemble long threads and can grow quickly, causing itching and irritation. Flat warts are smaller and smoother, usually found in large numbers on the face and other areas. Genital warts are sexually transmitted and can occur on the genitals, anus, or even in the mouth or throat. Plantar warts form on the soles of the feet and can be painful when walking or standing for long periods.
