How do you get warts?

Viruses called human papillomavirus (HPV) cause warts. It is easier to catch a virus that causes warts when you have a cut or scrape on your skin. This explains why so many children get warts. Warts also are more common on parts of the body that people shave such as the beard area in men and the legs in women. You can spread warts from one place on your body to another.

A wart is typically a small growth that appears on a person's hands or feet and looks like a solid blister or a small cauliflower. They may also appear in other parts of the body.

Warts have a rough texture and are caused by viruses, particularly one of several kinds of HPV (human papillomavirus).

The virus causes keratin, which is a hard protein on the top layer of the skin, to grow too fast.

Warts are not the same as moles. Moles are dark and may become quite large, while warts are nearly always small and have the same color as the person's skin.