Alternative medicine and dermatology

Because of increasing interest in the treatment and prevention of disease using nonconventional modalities, particularly in Western countries, it is important for practitioners of traditional Western medicine to remain open-minded about the use of alternative treatments. If the patient perceives the physician to be disapproving of the use of alternative treatments, she may not divulge the use of such treatments to the physician, even though alternative treatments can lead to adverse effects and to drug-herb interactions. The demographics and the reasons why patients seek alternative treatment are discussed. The scientific literature on the use of herbal and physical modalities is reviewed. Because of the large body of literature on the use of herbal remedies, the emphasis is on the current, most popular herbs in use by the general population, as well as on herbs used specifically for dermatologic disease.