In a questionnaire study at a university hospital in Norway, 227 of 444 patients with atopic dermatitis (51.1%) and 215 of 506 patients with psoriasis (42.5%) reported previous or current use of one or more forms of alternative medicine. Homoeopathy, health food preparations and herbal remedies were used most. Use was related to disease duration, disease severity and--among the atopic dermatitis patients--the inefficacy of therapy prescribed by physicians, as judged by the patients. The use of alternative medicine is commonplace and should be of concern to dermatologists.