Warts and verrucas
Warts are small lumps that often develop on the skin of the hands and feet. They vary in appearance and may develop singly or in clusters.
Most people will have warts at some point in their life. They tend to affect children and teenagers more than adults.
What causes warts and verrucas?
Warts are caused by certain strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV).
There are lots of different strains of HPV and these cause different types of warts.
HPV causes too much keratin (a hard protein) to develop in the top skin layer (epidermis). The extra keratin produces the rough, hard texture of a wart.
How warts spread
HPV is passed on through close skin-to-skin contact. It can also be passed on indirectly by contact with contaminated objects like:
- towels
- shoes
- areas surrounding swimming pools
- the floors of communal changing areas
You’re more likely to get infected if your skin is wet or damaged.
Warts can also be spread to other parts of your own body. You can spread the virus if you:
- scratch, knock or bite a wart
- bite your nails or suck your fingers (if they have warts on them)
- shave your face or legs
After you become infected, it can take weeks or even months for a wart or verruca to appear.
When to get help
Warts and verrucas aren’t usually serious and can be treated by a pharmacist.
Your pharmacist will give you advice about the best treatment for you.
- growth on your skin that you’re worried about
- wart or verruca that keeps coming back
- wart or verruca that’s very large or painful
- wart that bleeds
- wart that changes in how it looks
- wart on your face or genitals