Warts are skin growths that are caused by a virus. They can appear anywhere on the body. Warts are not dangerous, but they can be bothersome.

Little is known about warts. Most types are only slightly contagious. They can spread to other areas on the same person but rarely to other people. Genital and anal warts are an exception; they are easily transmitted through sexual contact and may increase a woman's risk for cervical cancer.

Plantar warts appear on the soles of the feet. Most of the wart lies under the skin surface and may make you feel like you are walking on a pebble.

Because warts seem to come and go for little reason, it's possible that they are sensitive to slight changes in the immune system. Although there is no scientific explanation for why it works, in some cases you can "think" warts away.

When necessary, your physician can remove warts. Unfortunately, they often come back.

Home Treatment

• Warts appear and disappear spontaneously. They can last a week, a month, or even years. To get rid of your warts, it helps to believe in the treatment. If something works for you, stick with it.

• Try the least expensive method of treating warts first. You may save a trip to your physician. If the wart bleeds a little, cover it with a bandage and apply light pressure to stop the bleeding.

• If the wart is in the way, rub it with a pumice stone or a file or apply a nonprescription product containing salicylic acid. (If you have diabetes or peripheral vascular disease, do not irritate the wart or use salicylic acid or tape on it without first discussing these treatments with a health professional.)

• If you use a pumice stone or file, both the debris from the wart and the area of the pumice stone or file that touched the wart can be infectious. Don't use these items for any other purpose or you may spread the wart-causing virus. Wash your hands with soap after you touch the debris from the wart or the pumice stone or file.

• You can also try covering the wart with duct tape. Use enough tape to cover the whole wart, and make sure the covering is watertight. Leave the tape on for 6 days; then take it off and soak the wart in warm water for 15 minutes. Use a pumice stone or file to gently rub down the wart. Leave uncovered overnight and reapply the tape in the morning. Repeat the process until the wart is gone. If the wart is not gone in 2 months, consider trying a different treatment.

• If treatment with salicylic acid or tape causes the area to become tender, taking a 2- to 3-day break from treatment may help relieve pain.

• For plantar warts, apply a doughnut-shaped pad to cushion the wart and relieve pain. Before you go to bed, apply salicylic acid to the wart, and cover the wart with a bandage (or wear a sock). Wash the medication off in the morning.

• Don't cut or burn off a wart.

When to Call Kaiser Permanente:

• If a wart looks infected after being irritated or knocked off.

• If a plantar wart is painful when you walk, and foam pads do not help.

• If you have warts in the anal or genital area.

• If a wart develops on your face and is a cosmetic concern.

• If a wart causes continual discomfort, or if warts are numerous enough to be a problem, they may need to be surgically removed. Talk with your physician about the risks and benefits of surgery to remove warts.

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