Move over Botox. A chemotherapy drug used to treat colon, pancreas and head and neck cancers has also been shown to reverse the signs of aging.
In a small study that included 21 patients, researchers found that the drug, called fluorouracil, reduced the appearance of sun-damaged areas after being applied for just two weeks, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Dr. Dana Sachs from the University of Michigan, who led the study, said the drug works by causing damage to skin cells, forcing the body to rebuild them, in much the same way as laser treatment.
The study involved volunteers between the ages of 56 and 85 who applied cream made from the drug to their skin twice a day for two weeks.
After the two weeks were up, dermatologists reviewed before and after pictures of the patients and found the cream had reduced both fine and course wrinkles, as well as age spots.
Fluorouracil is already used as a prescription skin treatment for actinic keratosis, which is a precancerous skin lesion that is caused by frequent and intense exposure to the sun.
The findings are published in the journal Archives of Dermatology.
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