A chemotherapy drug, Fluorouracil, used to treat colon, pancreas and head and neck cancers has also been shown to reverse the signs of aging.

In a recent study that included 21 people, between the ages of 56 and 85, researchers found that the drug reduced the appearance of sun-damaged areas after applying cream made from fluorouracil to their skin twice a day for two weeks. 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. (If this drug actually works like a laser we are all going to look alot younger. Nothing, and I mean nothing, makes the skin look younger, tighter, less wrinkled, and clear like a laser!)

The 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. The color of the skin also improved, with a reduction in sallowness, which can be a common sign of aging. Fluorouracil is already used as a prescription skin treatment for a type of precancerous skin lesion that is caused by frequent and intense exposure to the sun.