Causes of warts

A wart is the skin growth that appears on the area which is infected with a virus. This virus falls in the human papillomavirus family of viruses. Even though a wart is not dangerous, it can be pretty irritating and can be contagious too. Sometimes, warts can also be painful and therefore, require medical attention.

What causes warts?

Warts are caused when the human papillomavirus enters a cut in the skin and this virus can spread rapidly all over the body. Some of the common causes of warts are

• Shaving
• Sexual intercourse
• When you come in direct contact with a wart
• Cuticle picking and nail-biting
• Touching something that is contaminated with HPV

Also, one should remember that warts are contagious and it can spread immediately from a person to another person.

What are the different types of warts?

There are different types of warts that need to be diagnosed and then treated accordingly. Some of the types of warts are mentioned below:

1. Common warts:

   These are warts that occur on the fingers, on the backs of hands, or on the feet and nails. These are flesh-colored growths that show up where the skin was broken in most of the cases.

    

2. Plantar warts:

   These warts occur mostly in the soles. The pressure of standing and walking makes these plantar warts grow in the soles of the feet.

    

3. Flat warts:

   These warts appear mostly on the face, legs, and beard areas. Flat warts may be small in some cases but it can also be large in severe cases.

    

4. Filiform warts:

   These warts appear near your facial area and are fast-growing. They don’t hurt but can be embarrassing.

    

5. Genital warts:

   These warts occur in the genital areas of your body and are caused by having sex with someone who already has warts in the areas. They can easily spread, if not treated in time.