Warts are caused by an infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). You can get a wart when the virus enters your skin through a cut, scrape, or other break in the skin. The virus is contagious and can be spread by touching a wart on another person's body or by touching surfaces or objects that have been in contact with the wart virus, like towels or floors in communal areas. Warts are more common in children and people with weakened immune systems, and they tend to develop more easily on broken or softened skin, such as skin that has tiny cuts from shaving. The virus may take a few months after infection before a wart appears visibly on the skin. It is important to avoid picking at warts to prevent spreading the virus to other parts of the body or to other people.
