(HealthDay News) -- Warts surface when skin cells grow faster than normal due to infection from the human papillomavirus (HPV), says Harvard Medical School.
About 10 strains of HPV cause skin warts, which can spread by direct contact through breaks in the skin.
To get rid of a wart, Harvard suggests trying a salicylic acid treatment:
- Soak the wart for 10 to 15 minutes.
- File away the dead skin with an emery board or pumice stone.
- Apply salicylic acid to the wart area.
- Repeat once or twice a day for 12 weeks.
