This Is What Really Causes Warts

Warts are rough, raised bumps that appear on your skin, and they are quite common. There are several different kinds of warts. Common warts appear mostly on the hands and plantar warts appear on the feet. Flat warts can show up just about anywhere on the body. Filiform warts are long and thin, and usually appear on the face. Genital warts can be found in places near the genital region. If you see a wart that looks like it has a dark dot in it, you are actually seeing blood vessels in the wart, according to Mayo Clinic. Most of the time, they are the color of skin, but some can be brown, grey, or black (via Cleveland Clinic).

While warts might not look pleasant, the good news is that most of them are harmless and noncancerous. Just about anyone can get them. However, children and people with weak immune systems are more prone to getting them (via Health).

Warts are technically a type of infection, and regardless of where warts are located, they are all caused by the same virus — specifically, the human papillomavirus (HPV). Warts are contagious, so if you have one, you probably got it by coming into contact with HPV-infected skin or other object, dermatologist Amie G. Sessa, M.D., told Health. Most likely, the virus entered your system through a cut or some other injury. You can pick up the virus by touching a doorknob, a towel, or shower floor that has the virus on it, per Cleveland Clinic.

Sometimes warts go away without any treatment. But if you don't want to wait, they are fairly easy to remove with over-the-counter products. Your doctor can also remove a wart with other methods, such as cryotherapy. Genital warts are a different story and require different kinds of medications. You should contact your doctor if you have a wart that breaks open, looks infected, or causes some kind of pain.