What is a wart? Wart is a harmless skin growth caused by one of the many human papillomaviruses (HPV). Normally they disappear without any treatment within 6 months to 3 years. They are common in children in the age group of 12 to 16. In few instances they become painful. Causes HPV enters through the broken skin and causes the top layer of the skin to grow rapidly which forms the wart. The incubation period varies between one to eight months. Symptoms Warts can be of different sizes and shapes. They can be rough and bumpy or flat and smooth. Inside the wart, tiny blood vessels grow which supply it with blood. They appear as dark spots at the centre of the wart. There are different type of warts and they grow anywhere on the body. · Common warts – Though they can grow on any of the body-part, mostly they are found on hands as gray-brown, rough dome shapes. · Plantar ...