▁skin ▁les ions ▁caused ▁by ▁a ▁her pes ▁simple x ▁virus . ▁This ▁is ▁the ▁main ▁reason ▁why ▁the ▁condition ▁is ▁often ▁found ▁in ▁wrest lers . ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁virus ▁may ▁be ▁transm itted ▁through ▁inf ected ▁wrest lers ' ▁m ats , ▁but ▁this ▁is ▁still ▁subject ▁of ▁research ▁since ▁the ▁virus ▁cannot ▁live ▁long ▁enough ▁outside ▁the ▁body ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁cause ▁an ▁in fection . ▁Direct ▁contact ▁with ▁an ▁inf ected ▁person ▁or ▁inf ected ▁secret ions ▁is ▁und ou bt edly ▁the ▁main ▁way ▁in ▁which ▁this ▁virus ▁may ▁be ▁transm itted . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁believed ▁that ▁we aring ▁ab ras ive ▁cl othing ▁may ▁increase ▁the ▁ch ances ▁to ▁get ▁inf ected ▁with ▁this ▁type ▁of ▁virus . ▁Sh ir ts ▁made ▁of ▁poly ester ▁and ▁cot ton ▁may ▁cause ▁fr ict ions ▁that ▁lead ▁to ▁small ▁breaks ▁in ▁the ▁skin ▁which ▁makes ▁it ▁easier ▁to ▁contract ▁the ▁in fection . ▁Studies ▁in ▁which ▁athlet es ▁were ▁we aring ▁ 1 0 0 % ▁cot ton ▁sh ir ts ▁showed ▁a ▁decrease ▁in ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁her pes ▁gl adi ator um ▁cases . ▁ ▁The ▁spread ▁is ▁facil itated ▁when ▁a ▁s ore ▁is ▁present ▁but ▁it ▁can ▁happen ▁in ▁its ▁absence ▁as ▁well . ▁The ▁patients ▁may ▁know ▁that ▁the ▁virus ▁is ▁present ▁on ▁the ▁skin ▁when ▁they ▁experience ▁the ▁so - called ▁" prod rom al ▁sympt oms ". ▁These ▁include ▁it ch ing ▁or ▁t ing