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).

It sounds like a folk remedy that nobody would want to try: Remove warts with...duct tape? But, "studies show that covering your wart in duct tape really works," assures Day. "It's been scientifically proven."

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends cutting a piece of tape the size of your wart, covering it and changing it every few days to peel away layers of the wart. In between taping, soak the skin, and use an emery board to file away the dead skin. Dry the area and reapply the tape. Like any wart-removal system, it can take weeks -- or even months -- to see results.

Your acne-fighting standby can help you win the war on warts, too. Whether you choose a gel, liquid, pad or ointment to remove your wart, all salicylic acid-based products pretty much work the same way. You soak the wart in water, apply the product, and then, after the designated time, file off the dead wart tissue. Repeat until the wart's gone -- which could be several weeks.

Just be sure to use a product that contains at least 17 percent salicylic acid, such as Compound W Wart Remover Gel, $11. Read instructions carefully and follow them exactly. For example, many of these products are for hands and feet only and are not recommended for the face.

No you cannot use liquid nitrogen to get rid of your warts at home. But you can use an over-the-counter equivalent, which isn't quite as strong, but may still do the trick. It contains a freezing compound made of dimethyl ether and propane to deaden and remove warts. Dr. Scholl's Freeze Away Wart Remover Kit, $15.99, contains seven disposable treatment applicators and claims it will get rid of the wart in 10 days. As with all wart removal products, read instructions carefully before using it. This is a serious chemical, which is not only highly flammable but can cause scarring if not used correctly.

If you have tried and failed to remove your wart at home, or you're just not up for maintaining the persistence and diligence required of at-home wart treatments, your dermatologist has a host of treatments to choose from to remove your wart.

Cryotherapy, or freezing, is one of the most common ways to remove warts in the doctor's office. It can be painful, so in this treatment the doctor will usually apply a numbing agent to your skin and then apply liquid nitrogen to the wart. It takes less than a minute. Most people need two to four treatments with one to two weeks between treatments.

Another option is cantharidin, which involves your doctor painting a special chemical onto the wart and covering it with a bandage. While the application of the chemical tends to be ouch-free, you will experience some pain and blistering of the wart in the hours following. Your doctor will remove the dead wart skin on your next visit. This treatment can work in one dose, or not at all.

Then there's electrosurgery and curettage (aka burning and cutting). This method isn't typically a doctor's first choice because it can cause scarring. A doctor will "burn" your wart off with an electrical charge sent through the tip of a needle. It's often followed by the surgical removal of the wart tissue, or curettage, in which -- and this description isn't for the squeamish -- your doctor uses a scalpel or small, spoon-shaped tool to cut and scrape the wart out.