Symptom

Common warts usually occur on your fingers or hands and may be:

• Small, fleshy, grainy bumps
• Rough to the touch
• Sprinkled with black pinpoints, which are small, clotted blood vessels
• Dome-shaped.
• Skin-colored, brown, grey or black.

When to see a doctor

See your doctor for common warts if:

• The growths are painful or change in appearance or color
• You’ve tried treating the warts, but they persist, spread or recur
• The growths are bothersome and interfere with activities
• You aren’t sure whether the growths are warts
• You are an adult and numerous warts begin to appear, which may indicate the immune system is malfunctioning

Causes

When the human papillomavirus (HPV) enters a cut in the skin, it causes a skin infection that forms warts. Warts are very contagious. The virus can spread from person to person or from different parts of the body through:

• Direct contact with a wart.
• Touching something contaminated with the virus, such as towels, doorknobs and shower floors.
• Sexual intercourse (genital warts).
• Nail biting and cuticle picking.
• Shaving.