SUPER: eczemaHQ logo animates on screen.

CHRISTINA: This one is really easy.

(ROCCO LAUGHING)

CHRISTINA: White coat.

ROCCO: Dermatologist.

CHRISTINA: I’m killing this.

VOICEOVER: We found four people living with eczema, including one dermatologist, to put their eczema knowledge to the test—HQ style. The rules are simple.

SUPER: Rules: 1. Get your partner to guess the secret word. 2. Don’t use any trigger words.

VOICEOVER: Get your partner to guess the secret word without using any of the forbidden words.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

VOICEOVER: This is Trigger Words.

SUPER: Trigger Words

SUPER: Jane, NJ

JANE: I’ve suffered with eczema since I was 17.

SUPER: Sophie, WA

SOPHIE: I’ve actually had eczema since the day I was born.

SUPER: Christina, LA

CHRISTINA: I’ve been living with eczema for my entire life.

SUPER: Rocco, OH

ROCCO: I’m a lifelong eczema sufferer, and I’m also a dermatologist. All right, these are ridiculous.

SUPER: Answer: _______ Trigger Words: lotion, dry, skin, routine

ROCCO: Okay. Think about your—your skin is a desert.

(BUZZER SOUNDS)

ROCCO: So you need to?

CHRISTINA: Moisturize.

SUPER: Answer: Moisturize. Trigger Words: lotion, dry, skin, routine

ROCCO: Yes.

SUPER: eczema eureka!

MOISTURIZE
Moisturizing right after bathing can strengthen your skin barrier and may even lessen symptoms.

SOPHIE: This word is what you would describe—

SUPER: Answer: _______ Trigger Words: trigger, worse, irritation, sudden

SOPHIE: —when your eczema’s at its peak of disrupting your life and bothering you.

ROCCO: Inflammation.

JANE: Just an outbreak.

SOPHIE: Yeah, it’s like an outbreak. It’s two words.

JANE: A flare-up.

(BELL SOUNDS)

SUPER: Answer: Flare-up. Trigger Words: trigger, worse, irritation, sudden

SOPHIE: Yes.

SUPER: eczema eureka!

FLARE-UP
Flare-ups are when your symptoms suddenly worsen, and they can vary in intensity or location.

CHRISTINA: Let’s see. Scratchy.

SUPER: Answer: _______ Trigger Words: surface, red, itchy, inflamed

CHRISTINA: Patchy. You get this a lot of times if you get in poison ivy.

ROCCO: Itch, weepy, rash.

(BELL SOUND)

SUPER: Answer: Rash. Trigger Words: surface, red, itchy, inflamed

CHRISTINA: Ha, ha. Got it.

SUPER: eczema eureka!

RASH
Eczema rash can be confused with other types of rashes or conditions like psoriasis, so talk to a doctor for a proper diagnosis.

ROCCO: Well, I’ll say people will come in who get into poison ivy, right? Well, they have a little patch here and they’ll say, “Oh, I can’t live with that,” but I’m like, “Okay. Okay!” I’m like, “This is gonna go away in two weeks.” I don’t say this to them, but there is itch and there is itch.

SOPHIE: Medication that you can take—

SUPER: Answer: _______ Trigger Words: red, skin, reaction, immune system

SOPHIE: That is anti this word.

JANE: Antihistamine?

SOPHIE: Not histamine. It’s a broader term. It’s like—

JANE: A steroid?

SOPHIE: No, it’s—you can get an “anti” and then this word over the counter at a drug store.

JANE: Inflammation.

(BELL SOUNDS)

SUPER: Answer: Inflammation. Trigger Words: red, skin, reaction, immune system

SOPHIE: Yes.

SUPER: eczema eureka!

INFLAMMATION
Inflammation may play a key role in the repetitive cycle of itching and scratching that comes with eczema.

ROCCO: You’re told to use these all the time.

SUPER: Answer: _______ Trigger Words: cream, prescription, steroid, skin

ROCCO: You put them directly on.

JANE: Cream.

CHRISTINA: Ointment.

ROCCO: More generic. You put them, like—you put them on. As opposed to taking them by the mouth, you put them on.

JANE: It’s like a—

CHRISTINA: Topical.

SUPER: Answer: Topicals. Trigger Words: cream, prescription, steroid, skin

ROCCO: That’s it. Topicals.

CHRISTINA: Okay.

SUPER: eczema eureka!

TOPICALS
Topicals can often be used alone, or in combination with other treatments. Always check with your eczema specialist.

ROCCO: That’s it!

SUPER: A big thank you to Jane, Christina, Rocco, and Sophie for sharing your eczema experiences

SUPER: eczemaHQ logo animates on screen.