What Causes Tag Warts?
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Exposure
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All warts are caused by the human papillomavirus. The human papillomavirus loves human skin and is especially prone to transfer to a new area when that part of the skin is peeling, cracked, warm or moist. The human papillomavirus can even be transmitted sexually. Contact needn't be direct, either; human papillomavirus can be spread via indirect contact as well (like, for example, picking it up in a public shower through a lesion at the bottom of the foot). Exposure, whether from a floor, a towel or anything else touched by another person with the human papillomavirus, allows infection to potentially occur.
Infection
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Exposure doesn't guarantee infection, however. Often, a person's immune system is strong enough to fight off the human papillomavirus. At other times, there isn't enough of the virus to effect development of a wart, or the opening in the skin isn't large enough to permit enough of the virus during the time of exposure. If, however, the lesion is large enough, the immune system is weak enough, or the virus is big enough, infection will occur and the human papillomavirus will situate itself firmly into the skin.
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Incubation
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Over two to 12 months (though sometimes longer), the human papillomavirus will incubate in the skin. During this time, excessive skin growth occurs in this spot until a wart is produced. Picking or scratching warts increases the likelihood of spreading the human papillomavirus---beginning the infection process anew.
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