Strataderm in Australia: What It Costs and What Else to Consider After 45
Quick summary
Strataderm is a silicone scar gel made by Stratpharma, a Swiss company, and sold through Australian pharmacies. On 18 September 2026 the same product ranged from about $20 for a 5g tube to about $159 for a 50g one, and the cost per gram roughly halves as the tube gets bigger.
Stratpharma put the minimum course at 60 to 90 days, which is the number that should drive which size you buy. It is not for open wounds, and sunscreen or makeup can go over it once it is fully dry.
At Genova Skincare we make a silicone scar gel of our own, so this is a comparison with our product in it rather than a neutral review. Prices were checked on 18 September 2026 and results vary from person to person.
30ml, made in Australia. A cosmetic silicone gel for fully healed scars. Dries clear in about 30 seconds and sits under sunscreen and makeup.
What Strataderm costs in Australia, and why the price varies so much
If you have searched Strataderm and come away confused by the prices, you are not imagining it. Here is what Australian retailers were listing on 18 September 2026.
| Size | Australian price | Cost per gram | Where seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5g | $20.52 to $29.95 | About $4.10 to $5.99 | Discount Chemist Online, Priceline |
| 10g | $35.95 to $48.95 | About $3.60 to $4.90 | Ramsay Pharmacy Online, MediADVICE, Skin Fairy |
| 20g | $67.99 to $69.95 | About $3.40 to $3.50 | Chemist Warehouse, Priceline |
| 50g | $116.70 to $158.99 | About $2.33 to $3.18 | Amazon Australia, Medcart |
Two things fall out of that. The per-gram cost of the 50g tube is roughly half that of the 5g, so the small tube is the expensive way to buy. And the same size varies by around forty dollars between retailers, which is worth five minutes of comparison before you click.
At Genova Skincare we field this question often enough from women over 45 that it is worth stating the obvious: buying the small tube because the number is smaller is usually how a course ends early.
What Strataderm does for a scar after 45
Strataderm is a silicone gel. You apply a thin layer, it dries, and it leaves a flexible silicone film sitting over the scar. Stratpharma describe it as a once-daily gel and say it should be in contact with the skin around the clock for best results.
The mechanism is physical rather than chemical. The film holds moisture in the scar and shields it, and a well-hydrated scar tends to lay down less excess collagen, which is what makes a scar raised and firm. Research published in the European Journal of Dermatology put silicone at the front of the practical options for scar management, and that position has held up.
Stratpharma say it is well indicated for hypertrophic scars, including the raised scars that often follow severe burns. They also say plainly what it is not for: stretch marks and internal scars are outside its scope.
Why this matters more after 45 is worth a sentence. Mature skin generally takes longer to remodel a scar, so the timelines quoted on any silicone product tend to sit at the longer end for women in perimenopause and beyond. That is not a reason to skip it. It is a reason to buy enough of it.
How long you use Strataderm, and how much you will get through
Stratpharma put the recommended minimum at 60 to 90 days, and add that larger and older scars may take longer. That single line should decide the tube size.
Work backwards from it. A short scar of a few centimetres will get through a small tube slowly. A C-section, tummy tuck or long surgical scar will not, and a 5g tube on a 20cm scar is a fortnight's supply dressed up as a course.
The other practical notes from Stratpharma are useful and rarely read. Sunscreen and cosmetics can go over the top once it is completely dry, which is what makes a gel workable on a face or neck scar. It must not be used on open wounds or broken skin. And they state it is suitable for children, being biocompatible and non-reactive.
Strataderm alternatives in Australia for women over 45
Strataderm is a good product with a long track record, and nothing here is an argument that it is not. What follows is the honest shape of the Australian shelf.
| Option | Size and price | Cost per unit | How it is sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strataderm | 5g to 50g, about $20 to $159 | About $2.33 to $5.99 a gram | A scar therapy product, through pharmacies |
| Genova Silicone Scar Gel | 30ml, $52.95 | About $1.77 a millilitre | A cosmetic silicone gel, direct from us |
| Genova 12-Week Course | 2 x 30ml, $94.95 | About $1.58 a millilitre | The same gel, sized for a full course |
| Silicone sheets | About $25 to $60 a pack | Varies by pack | Pharmacy and online |
| Bio-Oil and similar oils | About $15 to $25 | Low | Cosmetic, widely stocked |
One distinction in that table deserves spelling out rather than leaving in a column. Strataderm is sold in Australia as a scar therapy product and is regulated accordingly. Genova Silicone Scar Gel is a cosmetic. They are not the same category of product, we are not claiming they are, and that is exactly why we describe ours in terms of how a scar looks and feels rather than in medical language.
What we will say about the price is arithmetic rather than a claim. A course is measured in months, so the number that matters is what it costs to get to the end of one. If you are weighing options, our buyer's guide to silicone gel for scars covers format, quantity and what a full course costs, and the Mederma comparison covers the other brand most people ask about.
See Genova Silicone Scar Gel →
What Strataderm and every silicone gel cannot do for mature skin
No silicone gel removes a scar, and any product suggesting otherwise is overpromising. Silicone works on how a scar looks and feels, not on whether it is there.
It will not fill a pitted or sunken acne scar, because the shortfall there is under the surface. It will not settle a large or growing keloid on its own, and a keloid that is spreading, painful or changing needs a doctor rather than a pharmacy shelf. It does nothing for stretch marks. And none of it goes on skin that has not fully closed.
Realistic expectations
With any silicone gel, expect the itch and tightness to settle first, often within a few weeks, then gradual change in colour and texture across eight to twelve weeks of daily use. Stratpharma's own 60 to 90 day minimum tells you the same thing in their words.
Older scars move more slowly and have a lower ceiling. Skin after 45 generally takes longer again. Results vary from person to person.
Who Strataderm suits after 45, and who should look at something else
Strataderm is a sensible choice if you want a product your pharmacist knows, your scar is raised or recent, you are treating a child's scar, or you have been referred to it by a surgeon and would rather follow that advice than second-guess it.
Look at the alternatives if the scar is long and the per-gram cost of the size you would need has made you hesitate, or you would rather buy enough for a whole course in one go.
None of them is right if the wound is still open, in which case a scar gel is the wrong stage of product entirely. That is a different decision and we have covered it in when to start scar gel after surgery.
Strataderm questions women over 45 ask most
Does Strataderm actually work?
Silicone is the best supported at-home approach to scar management, and Strataderm is a silicone gel with a long record of use. What it does is improve how a scar looks and feels over months. It does not remove one, and results vary.
How long should you use Strataderm on a scar?
Stratpharma recommend a minimum of 60 to 90 days, and say larger and older scars may take longer. Buy the tube size that gets you to the end of that.
Can you buy Strataderm at Chemist Warehouse?
Yes. On 18 September 2026 Chemist Warehouse listed the 20g at $67.99, and Priceline, Ramsay Pharmacy Online and several independents stocked other sizes. Prices differ meaningfully between them.
Can you put sunscreen or makeup over Strataderm?
Yes, once it is completely dry. Stratpharma confirm this, and in Australia the sunscreen step matters, because sun on a fresh scar tends to darken it. Our guide to sunscreen over silicone scar gel covers the order.
What is the best silicone scar gel in Australia?
There is no single answer, and we are not a neutral party. The practical test is whether you will still be using it in week ten, which comes down to how it feels on your skin, whether anything can go over it, and whether you bought enough. Our comparison of the options on the Australian shelf goes through them.
If you are standing in front of the Strataderm shelf with four tube sizes and a forty dollar spread between retailers, the decision is simpler than it looks. Work out how long your scar will need, work out how much gel that is, then compare the options on what a full course costs rather than what one tube costs. Whichever brand you land on, the thing that changes a scar is using it every day for months.
The Australian-made option, sized for a full course
A cosmetic silicone gel for fully healed scars. Dries clear in about thirty seconds, and sits under sunscreen and makeup.
12-Week Course, 2 pack 2 x 30ml. For a longer scar, or a full course in one purchase.
Made in Australia. For fully healed skin only. Results vary from person to person.
Individual results vary. Strataderm and Stratamed are products of Stratpharma AG and are not affiliated with Genova Skincare. Genova Silicone Scar Gel is a cosmetic product designed to support the appearance of scars and is not a substitute for advice from your GP, surgeon or pharmacist. Apply only to skin that has fully closed. Australian prices quoted are from retailer listings checked on 18 September 2026 and change by retailer and pack size. Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
Sources:
- Stratpharma AG. Strataderm frequently asked questions and product information. strataderm.com, accessed 18 September 2026.
- Meaume S, Le Pillouer-Prost A, Richert B, et al. Management of scars: updated practical guidelines and use of silicones. European Journal of Dermatology. 2014;24(4):435-443.
- Puri N, Talwar A. The efficacy of silicone gel for the treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids. Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery. 2009;2(2):104-106.
- Australian retailer listings for Strataderm: Chemist Warehouse, Priceline Pharmacy, Ramsay Pharmacy Online, MediADVICE Pharmacy, Skin Fairy, Amazon Australia and Medcart, checked 18 September 2026.
