Body

How to Get Rid of Warts

Give those unsightly bumps the heave-ho with these at-home and professional wart remedies

by Leslie George | COMMENT

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What Causes Warts? Short answer: HPV. You may have heard these three letters uttered in hushed tones or in the context of a convo with your gyno, but the truth is the human papillomavirus (HPV) is everywhere, and it's the pesky cause of warts. Warts are formed when the HPV virus causes the keratin in the top layer of your skin to grow too fast. Some types of the virus cause warts in the hands, others in the feet or other areas. Unlike moles, which are dark in color, warts are the same color as your skin.

"Everything you touch has a wart virus on it," says Day. "There are more than 90 different types. But it's not so much your exposure to the virus that causes you to get warts, it's your immunity to the virus which determines whether or not you will get a wart." Each person's immune system responds to the HPV virus differently, so not everyone who comes in contact with HPV develops warts.

Children, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are most susceptible to warts, according to Day, although everyone is at risk. Plus, the virus travels faster through wet skin (consider this your heads up, avid swimmers and hot yoga practitioners).

SEE NEXT PAGE: DIY Wart Removal

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