Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Various forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are commonly utilized by patients with skin disorders. Because CAM encompasses a wide range of systems and treatments, it is not possible to thoroughly cover the entire field, in part because it continues to expand. Although these treatments are not evidence-based in the strictest sense, scientific research continues to augment our knowledge of CAM, with promising data emerging for some of the commonly practiced modalities. We will limit our discussion to those practices that have at least some evidence of benefit, focusing on botanicals, dietary supplements and diet modifications, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, homeopathy, and mind-body medicine.