## Why do warts occur? Warts are an infectious disease that can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact or surfaces. Because of this, different areas of the skin can become infected from each other. The cause of warts on our body is the human papillomavirus — but keep in mind that this process has nothing to do with oncogenic strains. ## What are they? __Common warts__ — more often on the hands and knees in the form of dense nodules. __"Butcher's warts"__ — in the form of "cauliflower," show up often in people who work with meat. __Thread-like__ — thin and long on the face. __Palmar and plantar__ — dense and painful nodes in areas of maximum pressure. __Flat__ — small, multiple flat surface nodules, often on the face. __Periungal__ — occurs around the nail plates. ## Are warts dangerous to health? Aside from the purely physical discomfort and unaesthetic appearance, ===warts are not dangerous. In 50 % of children, they disappear by themselves within six months, and in 90 % of cases, they disappear within 2 years. Adults have a bit more difficulty. Given the possibility of spreading to other parts of the body, and painfulness when localized on the feet or toes, warts are usually removed. ## Can warts be cured? There are two approaches to getting rid of warts: conservative and surgical. The first option combines the use of salicylic patches and taking immunomodulators to help the body fight the virus. This method takes a long time and is not guaranteed to be effective. A more radical and effective option is to remove the wart. The most effective method is cryotherapy with the use of liquid nitrogen, but this is quite a painful procedure. Additionally, to get rid of an annoying wart, you usually have to go through the procedure more than once. Depending on the situation and location of the wart, laser, electrosurgery, and radiosurgery may be used. However, these techniques can cause scarring. Unfortunately, the ideal method of treatment does not exist, as even after successful removal the wart can often reappear. This is due to the interaction between local immunity and the virus in the epidermal cells.