What is a wart?

A wart is a non-cancerous growth caused by a subset of strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV.) Though unrelated to the HPV strains involved in genital infections, the wart-causing strains can be equally tenacious. Because they target the outermost layers of the skin, simple surface contact with wart-causing strains can lead to infection even if the skin is otherwise undamaged.

Quick note!

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

A few specific strains of HPV are associated with cervical cancer and, to a lesser extent, cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis and anus. These particular strains of HPV can also cause condyloma (genital warts). However, the strains of HPV that cause vulvar (plantar or palm) warts are not associated with cancer.

How do warts look like?

Plantar warts often appear on the soles of the feet, while palmer warts usually appear on the fingers or top surface of the hands. Despite this distinction, non-STD warts can appear anywhere on the body, and there's no clinical difference between the virus strains responsible for plantar, palmer, and other non-STD wart infections. 

Once the virus enters the skin it establishes a colony just beneath the surface. This colony will remain isolated and highly localized throughout most of the infection's lifespan, though some warts may reach deeper than others. In response to this infection, nearby skin cells multiply rapidly, leading to a small growth that is heavily packed with the virus. This is a reaction to the irritation of the infection and an attempt by the body to isolate the viral colony by surrounding it with a wall of skin cells.

Can warts be treated?

Because wart infections are generally self-resolving, most medical professionals only recommend treatment in the case of severe irritation or pain.

Surgical treatments will attempt to remove the wart and any surrounding skin tissues, ideally removing the entire viral colony before it has a chance to establish any secondary or dormant infections. Over-the-counter products use a weak acid solution or a freezing mechanism in an attempt to kill the infected skin cells and encourage the body to slough them off.

It is very likely that even the most effective treatments will leave some remnant of the viral colony behind. Because of this and the tendency of the virus to go dormant, ultimate pacification will always depend on the immune system learning to mount an effective defense against the infection.