Warts

Warts are benign small hard growths on the skin. Warts consist of a nucleus of connective tissue with blood vessels, covered with layers of epithelial tissue (skin layer). Warts can occur singly or in groups. Without further treatment, in 80% of cases, warts will disappear within a year.

Development

Warts are caused by a virus, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). There are over 70 different strains of the HPV virus that can cause warts.

Warts will appear three to six months after infection. A wart develops when a virus causes an area of skin to grow faster than the surrounding skin, which then hardens. An impaired immune system puts you at greater risk for warts.