▁through ▁self - contact , ▁leading ▁to ▁in fection ▁at ▁multiple ▁sites ▁on ▁the ▁body . ▁ ▁Her pes ▁gl adi ator um ▁sympt oms ▁may ▁last ▁up ▁to ▁a ▁few ▁weeks , ▁and ▁if ▁they ▁occur ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁out break , ▁they ▁can ▁be ▁more ▁pron ounced . ▁In ▁rec urr ences ▁of ▁the ▁a il ment , ▁sympt oms ▁are ▁mil der , ▁even ▁if ▁les ions ▁still ▁tend ▁to ▁occur . ▁With ▁rec urrent ▁in fe ctions ▁sc abs ▁may ▁form ▁at ▁ 3 ▁days ▁yet ▁the ▁les ions ▁are ▁still ▁considered ▁inf ect ious ▁up ▁til ▁ 6 . 4 ▁days ▁after ▁starting ▁or al ▁ant iv iral ▁medic ations . ▁He aling ▁takes ▁place ▁without ▁leaving ▁sc ars . ▁It ▁is ▁possible ▁that ▁the ▁condition ▁evol ves ▁asympt om atically ▁and ▁s ores ▁are ▁never ▁present . ▁ ▁C aus es ▁Her pes ▁gl adi ator um ▁is ▁a ▁skin ▁in fection ▁primarily ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁her pes ▁simple x ▁virus . ▁The ▁virus ▁inf ect s ▁the ▁cells ▁in ▁the ▁e pid erm al ▁layer ▁of ▁the ▁skin . ▁The ▁initial ▁vir al ▁rep lication ▁occurs ▁at ▁the ▁entry ▁site ▁in ▁the ▁skin ▁or ▁m uc ous ▁memb rane . ▁ ▁The ▁in fe ctions ▁caused ▁by ▁a ▁H SV ▁Type ▁ 1 ▁virus ▁may ▁be ▁primary ▁or ▁rec urrent . ▁Studies ▁show ▁that ▁even ▁though ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁individuals ▁who ▁are ▁exposed ▁to ▁the ▁virus ▁get ▁inf ected , ▁only ▁ 1 0 % ▁from