Warts can grown on the skin of your hands, face, feet, and in your genital area. They are the result of a virus called HPV (human papillomavirus) which causes sections of your skin to grow more rapidly than the surrounding area. They are not moles. They are not cancerous. Most of the time they are harmless and many disappear on their own.
There are more than 100 types of HPV, most of which are relatively harmless causing conditions like common warts. Only a few are more dangerous causing genital warts and cancer of the cervix.
When warts on your hands are bothersome, you may wish to remove them. Removal can help to prevent them from spreading to other parts of your body or to other people. Some people end up having warts as a persistent problem, and others find that their wart problem simply disappears on its own.
Warts are very infectious and it is relatively easy to pass warts on to another person from skin to skin contact, or even touching an object someone infected with warts has touched. It can take up to six months for warts to develop after exposure. The best way to prevent warts is to bolster your immune system and practice good hygiene.
Warts on your hands can occur as groups or as a single lesion. Most of the time, warts do not require medical treatment, but if they are spreading or present a cosmetic problem, you can look into getting treatment for them. If the warts persist after home treatment, become painful, or begin to spread rapidly you may wish to get a medical opinion.
WARNING: NEVER TREAT GENITAL WARTS AT HOME! SEEK TREATMENT FROM A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.