Warts

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Warts are small, skin-coloured, roughish lumps on the skin. They often appear on the hands and feet and look different depending on where they are on the body and how thick the skin is.

Warts are caused by an infection with a virus called human papilloma virus (HPV). There are many different types of this virus. It causes a reaction with the skin that makes part of the top layer of skin (the epidermis) grow too much. Keratin is the hard protein in the skin that grows too much, causing the rough, hard texture of warts.

Warts are usually harmless, but they can look unsightly. They often clear up by themselves, but treatment can help to get rid of them more quickly. Warts arenâ€™t normally painful, although verrucas (warts on the feet) can sometimes hurt.

Warts are very contagious (easy to spread and catch). The skin cells in the warts releases thousands of viruses, so close skin-to-skin contact can pass on the infection. However, it can take several months for warts and verrucas to appear after youâ€™ve caught the infection.

People with weak immune systems (the part of the body that fights infection), are more likely to get warts. This is because the body is less able to fight off the HPV virus.

Most people develop warts at some point in their life, usually before the age of 20. About 1 in 10 people in the UK have warts at any one time.