By now, you probably know that the idea of catching warts from toads is nothing more than an old wives' tale. But many people still have questions about these unsightly and sometimes painful growths that seem to crop up out of nowhere. Warts occur when the virus comes in contact with your skin and causes an infection. Warts are more likely to develop on broken skin, such as picked hangnails or areas nicked by shaving, because the virus is able to enter the top layer of skin through scratches or cuts.

While dermatologists still don't know why, certain people are more likely to get warts than others. Additionally, children get warts much more often than adults, because their immune systems have not yet built up their defenses against the numerous types of human papillomavirus that exist

Are Warts Contagious? Unfortunately, yes. You can get warts from touching a wart on someone else's body, or by coming in contact with surfaces that touched someone's warts, such as towels or bathmats.

Can I Spread Warts From One Part of My Body to Another? Yes, you can. For this reason, it is important not to pick at your warts and to wash your hands promptly and thoroughly any time you touch one of your warts. If you have warts in an area where you shave, keep in mind that shaving over the wart could transfer the virus to the razor and then spread it to other areas of your body.

Will Warts Go Away On Their Own? Some warts will go away without treatment, others will not. Even those warts that eventually go away can take months, or even years, to disappear. Also, keep in mind that any wart can be a "mother" wart that spreads to other parts of your body. Most dermatologists say it is best to treat warts, either at home or in the doctor's office, as soon as they appear.