- 5-fluorouracil (available as a generic version or under the brand name Efudix);
- 5-fluorouracil and salicylic acid (available under the brand name Actikerall); or:
- Imiquimod (available under the brand names Aldara and Zyclara).
One key difference is that Solaraze 3% gel is generally gentler on the skin and causes less irritation, redness and pain. So, unless your clinician advises you otherwise, starting with Solaraze may be a good option for you.
You also have the option to go for more invasive treatments. For instance, cryotherapy involves freezing the affected skin using super cold liquid nitrogen (reaching temperatures as low as -180°C). Another treatment is curettage, where your dermatologist scrapes off the dry, rough patches of skin. This may be followed by electrodesiccation, which applies heat to the treated area to remove any remaining cells affected by actinic keratosis.
Diclofenac topical gel is available as a generic version and under different brand names like Solaraze or Voltaren. But only Solaraze contains sodium hyaluronate, which helps the gel penetrate into the dry, scaly patches that are characteristic for actinic keratosis. So, while all three gels have the same active ingredient (diclofenac sodium), Solaraze is the only one specifically designed to treat actinic keratosis. So other Diclofenac gels may not be as efficient.
