Warts are the subject of numerous falsehoods. You don't get them from toads, they don't have deep roots and they don't keep growing indefinitely. They're skin growths, stemming from a common virus, that generally pose no threat to anything but your physical appearance. Because they can vary in appearance and location, however, it sometimes can be difficult to distinguish warts from more serious types of skin growths.
Identification
Warts most commonly appear on your hands or fingers as skin-colored, rough-to-the-touch bumps. They often appear to have small black seeds, which actually are blood vessels to the wart. Less commonly, they can grow on other parts of your body or have a smooth or dark appearance. They grow as a result of a virus called the human papillomavirus, a blanket term for group of more than 100 different viruses, according to MayoClinic.com. Warts almost always are harmless, but many people have them removed because they are unsightly or irritating.
Types
Besides the common wart, you can grow warts on your feet, called plantar warts or verrucas. These warts often are embedded in your skin, because the pressure from standing and walking pushes them underneath your skin, and they can be painful. Large groups of small, smooth warts, called flat warts, also can grow on your face or legs, and they often come from irritation while shaving, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Fibrous growths, small itchy bumps, skin flaps and other skin growths are not warts.
Treatment
Warts often disappear on their own, particularly in children, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. You can find over-the-counter treatments for warts, which usually use salicylic acid to peel off layers of skin around the wart. A dermatologist can remove warts by freezing them with liquid nitrogen, cutting them off or through vitamin injections. Stubborn warts might require laser treatment. Clinical trials have shown an oil-based garlic solution and vitamin D-3 patches can be effective in treating warts, although the evidence behind them is not solid, according to MayoClinic.com.
Prevention
Because warts stem from a virus, you might get them more frequently just from being more susceptible to the HPV or by having a weakened immune system. MayoClinic.com suggests that you prevent warts from spreading by not picking at them and washing your hands after touching your wart. Keeping your hands dry and wearing shoes in showers and locker rooms also can prevent warts from developing. Other people can spread their warts to you if you touch them or share towels, though the American Academy of Dermatology reports that there's only a small risk of catching warts from another person.
Warning
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that you seek treatment for any wart that is painful or multiplying quickly. Additionally, a dermatologist can help to identify irregular growths if you are not sure whether they are warts. Growths that are asymmetrical, have irregular borders, are varied in color or are larger than a pencil's eraser could be melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
