The stage is assembled. Reggie walks out, we see an easel with a blank page. Dani is sitting in a theater seat, with a bowl of popcorn.

DANI: Showtime!

REGGIE: Welcome to Eczema HQ. With me, Reggie. Hm hm! Today we’re talking about ITCH.

The next page of the easel is revealed. It’s a photo of a tropical beach.

REGGIE: No, no, not the “itch” you get to extend your epic vacation a few extra days…or weeks...

The next page is revealed.

REGGIE: We’re talking about actual itch, known medically as pruritus.

Dani shouts out the word.

DANI: Pruritus.

REGGIE: Yeah, that’s a tough one to say.

DANI: You nailed it.

A cart is wheeled in with a dog (Taco) who is scratching himself.

REGGIE: Some scientists believe that mammals—like Taco here—first developed the reflex to scratch as a way to respond to harmful elements on the skin—like fleas and ticks.

Taco scratches himself.

REGGIE: Which may just explain why the urge to scratch is something we still have to deal with today. It's our body's way of protecting itself. You feel an itch, you scratch it, and it’s over. Simple, right?

DANI: Not so fast!

REGGIE: Take it from here, Dani!

Dani leaps up.

DANI: My pleasure!

The stage is removed as Dani joins Reggie on stage.

DANI: For people with eczema, itch is way more complicated than that.

Supers appear: 1. Skin Barrier Disfunction 2. Overactive Immune System

DANI: Certain factors can contribute to itch, like skin-barrier dysfunction, which can lead to dry skin, moisture loss or external irritants penetrating the skin’s surface…and an overactive immune system that triggers excess inflammation. Both of these factors can contribute to itch and rash.

DANI: Eczema can be an irritating cycle of itching and scratching called, well, the itch-scratch cycle…

A massive wheel is wheeled into position.

DANI: …represented here by this wheel!

Insert of the wheel.

REGGIE: Wow, that is a big wheel.

DANI: As hard as it is to admit, we don’t know everything about itch—or how the itch-scratch cycle starts.

REGGIE: So let’s pick it up here with itch.

DANI: Although several factors can contribute to the itch that people with eczema feel, what almost always follows…

Wheel spins and lands on the next section, which is “Scratching.”

DANI: …is scratching.

REGGIE: But here’s the kicker: When you scratch, it damages your skin barrier, leaving it susceptible to external irritants.

Insert of wheel, spinning to the next section.

REGGIE: Your body’s way of fighting off those external irritants is with inflammation—its natural defense system.

Insert of wheel, spinning to the next section.

DANI: And of course, inflammation is known to contribute to—you guessed it—itchy skin.

Insert of wheel, spinning to the next section. Dani spins the wheel so it goes on forever.

DANI: And that Itch-Scratch Cycle can repeat over and over and over again. So make sure to discuss all of these factors with your doctor.

Set is switched out.

REGGIE: Alright, folks. If you enjoyed this video as much as we did, make sure to give it a share.

A sign reading “TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR” is positioned on the stage.

DANI: And join us next time for more Eczema HQ videos!