Didn't your mother always tell you not to play with frogs or you would get warts? Are warts really caused by frogs? The truth is that warts are caused by a virus. The viruses that cause warts are called papillomaviruses. You may have heard of these. So, to put an old myth to rest, the answer is no, warts are not caused by holding, touching or kissing frogs. Is there more than one type of wart? Actually, there are several different kinds of warts, but, basically two common types of warts. The first one is called called the verucca wart. These warts are small and hard with irregular surfaces. The second type of wart is called the flat wart. With these warts, they generally grow in clusters, they are only slightly raised and they have smooth surfaces.

There are some places that warts will grow on the body that are more common sites. Some of them include the hands, the feet, the ankles and the knees. Warts that grow on the soles of the feet are called plantar warts. Plantar warts develop on the weight bearing part of the foot and may be painful. Warts may also be located on the genitals, usually when the person has a disease like gonorrhea or syphilis. Genital warts should be treated by a doctor. Do not attempt to put any over the counter medications on genital warts.

You may think that you have had your wart or warts forever, but somewhere along the line, you came in contact with a person who had a wart or was carrying the virus that causes warts. Warts are contagious, but exactly how they are transmitted is not known. A wart begins when a virus invades the skin cells, the papillomavirus. The skin cells then begin reproducing at a faster rate than normal tissue. This results in overgrowth of the skin cells, causing warts. Warts are known to have a lot of very small blood vessels within them. Those black dots you may see in warts are the tiny blood vessels. Warts do not cause pain because warts contain no nerves. Picking at the wart can, however cause it to bleed or cause pain. Do not attempt to cut or peel the wart. Also, the plantar warts can be painful because they are at the bottom of the foot and weight bearing or stepping down on them, causes the pain.

The papillomvirus is spread by contact with someone who carries the virus. Warts can occur at any age, however, the largest number of warts are found in persons between the ages of ten and thirty years old. In adults, however, it is best to have a skin lesion checked, because some skin cancers look like warts. Many warts, especially flat warts, will dissappear on their own within a few months or so. Warts can be removed by a doctor for cosmetic reasons or if it is in an awkward place. There are also many over the counter wart removal systems. Follow these directions carefully. When a layer of dead skin forms, it can be soaked to soften, then gently removed with a rubbing stone. If self treatment is not successful, your doctor can freeze or burn the wart off. A numbing agent is used to deaden the area first.

Wart virus can be deep in the skin and often warts that you thought were gone will reappear in the same place after treatment, even months later. Treating warts soon, while they are small, increases the chances of permannent successful removal. Don't touch a wart, and wear rubber shoes in public shower to protect the soles of your feet.