Warts are common growths of the skin caused by any of over 100 types of the human papillomavirus. Common warts are noncancerous skin growths caused by a virus called the human papillomavirus (HPV). This virus causes a rapid growth of cells on the outer layer of your skin. Common warts can be annoying to anyone. Common warts usually occur on your hands, fingers or near your fingernails. Other types of HPV tend to cause warts in other places, such as on the soles of the feet, the genitals or the face and legs. Common warts are different from moles, and they aren't cancerous. In fact, they're usually harmless and often disappear on their own. Warts can be found on people of any age, but they are most common between the ages 12–16.

It is estimated that 20% of schoolchildren and about 10% of the general population have warts. All races are affected, but light-skinned individuals are infected more often than dark-skinned persons. Warts may occur singly or in multiples. They often contain one or more tiny black dots, which are sometimes called wart seeds but are actually small, clotted blood vessels. Common warts are usually painless. Warts don't require treatment, but you may want to treat them for cosmetic purposes and to prevent their spread. Treatment helps prevent common warts from spreading to other parts of your body or to other people. Liquid nitrogen to destroy your wart by freezing it. This treatment isn't too painful, and is often effective. Laser surgery can be expensive, and it may leave a scar.

Salicylic, acetic, and lactic acid products are available over the counter in a variety of forms and act by peeling off the wart-infected skin. Immunotherapy medication is treatment of genital warts, but it's also successful in treating common warts. Immunotherapy attempts to harness your body's natural rejection system to fight off warts. Avoiding shaving, biting, picking, or cutting in the wart regions; hand washing after touching wart areas; and using a different nail file and clipper for the infected areas. Hot water soaks may be added to the above treatment approaches. Duct tape therapy seems to work by irritating the wart, encouraging attack by the immune system. Raw garlic cloves have been demonstrated to have antiviral activity.

Common Warts Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Salicylic, acetic, and lactic acid products peeling off the wart-infected skin.

2. Duct tape therapy seems to work by irritating the wart, encouraging attack by the immune system.

3. Hot water soaks may be added to the above treatment approaches.

4. Raw garlic cloves have been demonstrated to have antiviral activity.

5. Hypnosis has been used, with a better response in children.

6. Avoiding shaving, biting, picking, or cutting in the wart regions.

7. Washing hands after touching wart areas and using a different nail file and clipper.

8. Having children with warts use their own towels.