What are Warts?

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Warts are benign (not cancerous) skin growths that appear when a virus infects the top layer of the skin. Viruses that cause warts are called human papillomavirus (HPV). You are more likely to get one of these viruses if you cut or damage your skin in some way.

Wart viruses are contagious. Warts can spread by contact with the wart or something that touched the wart. Warts are often skin-colored and feel rough, but they can be dark (brown or gray-black), flat, and smooth. 

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Common Warts

(also called vurruca vulgaris)

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If you see a wart on your child's face, check your child's hands for warts. The virus that causes warts can spread from the hands to the face through touch or nail biting.

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Common warts have these traits:​

• Grow most often on the fingers, around the nails, and on the backs of the hands.

• Are more common where skin was broken, such as from biting fingernails or picking at hangnails.

• Can have black dots that look like seeds (often called "seed" warts).

• Most often feel like rough bumps.

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Sources: www.aad.org

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