Embarrassing Illnesses

Warts are small, skin-coloured, rough lumps on the skin that are benign (non-cancerous). They often appear on the hands and feet. Warts can look different depending on where they are on the body and how thick the skin is. A wart on the sole of the foot is called a verruca.

Warts are caused by infection with a virus called the human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV causes keratin, a hard protein in the top layer of the skin (the epidermis), to grow too much, producing the rough hard texture of a wart.

Types of warts

There are several different types of warts, and some are more common than others. A UK study of 1,000 children with warts found that:

• 74% had common warts,
• 24% had verrucas,
• 3.5% had plane warts, and
• 2% had filiform warts.

See the Symptoms section for more information about each type of wart.

Who can get warts?

Most people have warts at some time during their life, usually before the age of 20. Warts are more common in children and teenagers than they are in adults. They are uncommon in babies.

Some people are more likely to get warts, such as those who have:

• atopic eczema, or
• weak immune systems (for example, following treatment for cancer, after an organ transplant, or due to an illness, such as AIDS).

Research has shown that warts on the hands can also be more common in people whose job involves handling meat, such as butchers and abattoir (slaughterhouse) workers. The reason for this is not known.

Warts are harmless but contagious

Warts can look unattractive, but they are usually harmless. They often clear up without treatment, but treatment can help to get rid of them more quickly. Warts are not normally painful, although verrucas can sometimes hurt.

Warts are very contagious. The skin cells in warts release thousands of viruses, so close skin-to-skin contact can pass on the infection. It is also possible to catch the infection indirectly from an object such as a towel. It can take weeks, or even months, for a wart or verruca to appear after you have caught the infection.

Genital warts

Genital warts occur on the genitals and around the rectum. They should not be treated at home. See Useful links for further information about genital warts, including how they are treated.