Strataderm vs Stratamed: Which One Does Your Wound or Scar Need After 45?
Quick summary
Strataderm and Stratamed are both made by Stratpharma and they are for different stages, not different budgets. Stratamed is a wound dressing intended for use straight after a procedure, on wounds and compromised skin. Strataderm is a scar gel and Stratpharma state it must not be used on open wounds or broken skin.
So the question is not which is better. It is whether your skin has closed yet. If it has not, you are at the dressing stage. If it has, you are at the scar gel stage.
At Genova Skincare we make a cosmetic silicone scar gel, which belongs in the second stage only and never on an open wound. We would rather tell you that than sell you the wrong thing. Prices were checked on 18 September 2026 and results vary.
30ml, made in Australia. A cosmetic silicone gel for skin that has fully closed. Not for open wounds, weeping skin or sites with sutures still in place.
Strataderm vs Stratamed: the short answer for women over 45
Stratpharma describe Stratamed as a flexible, film-forming wound dressing for use immediately following medical and aesthetic procedures, and on acute or chronic wounds and compromised skin. They add that it is sterile until opened and bacteriostatic, meaning it hinders bacteria from reproducing, which is what makes it suitable on open wounds.
Strataderm is the opposite end of the same timeline. Stratpharma's own guidance is that it must not be used on open wounds, and should not go on broken skin. Their product notes point people who need cover straight after surgery towards Stratamed instead.
At Genova Skincare we are asked this constantly by women over 45 who have just come home from a day surgery with a dressing and a vague instruction to start something in a few weeks. The useful question is not which product is stronger. It is what stage your skin is at today.
When to use Stratamed on an open or healing wound after 45
Stratamed is the product for the window that opens the moment a procedure finishes. Stratpharma say it can be used immediately after procedures, which lets scar management begin earlier than waiting for full closure allows.
That window matters more after 45 than most people are told. A review in Frontiers in Physiology looking at surgical scars described early intervention as a crucial but often neglected part of controlling how a scar turns out, while noting that the research in this area remains fragmented. Skin in perimenopause and beyond generally remodels more slowly, so the early weeks carry more weight, not less.
Practically, this is the stage where your surgeon's or nurse's instructions outrank anything you read online, including this page. If you have a dressing plan, follow it. If you are unsure whether the wound counts as closed, ask the person who closed it.
When to switch to a scar gel after 45
The switch happens when the skin has fully closed. No gap, no weeping, no scab, and any sutures out. From that point you are no longer managing a wound, you are managing a scar, and that is what a silicone scar gel is built for.
Both Strataderm and Genova Silicone Scar Gel belong at this stage. Both dry into a thin silicone film that holds moisture in the scar and shields it, which over months tends to leave a scar softer, flatter and less red. Research published in the European Journal of Dermatology placed silicone at the front of the practical options for managing scars.
Stratpharma put their minimum course at 60 to 90 days, and say larger and older scars take longer. That is a useful benchmark whatever brand you use, and it is the number to buy against. Our guide to when to start scar gel after surgery covers the timing in more detail.
Strataderm vs Stratamed vs a cosmetic scar gel: how the three compare
| Product | Stage it is for | Goes on | Australian price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stratamed | Immediately after a procedure, and on wounds | Open wounds and compromised skin | About $29 for 5g to about $114 for 50g |
| Strataderm | Once the skin has closed | Closed scars only, not broken skin | About $20 for 5g to about $159 for 50g |
| Genova Silicone Scar Gel | Once the skin has closed | Fully healed skin only | $52.95 for 30ml |
| Silicone sheets | Once the skin has closed | Flat, coverable areas | About $25 to $60 a pack |
One distinction the table cannot carry on its own. Stratamed and Strataderm are sold in Australia as therapeutic products and are regulated accordingly. Genova Silicone Scar Gel is a cosmetic. They are not the same category and we are not suggesting they are, which is why we talk about how a scar looks and feels rather than in medical terms. If your situation calls for a wound dressing, buy a wound dressing.
Where our product is a reasonable option is the third stage, for a closed scar, on price per millilitre and on being made here. Our buyer's guide to silicone gel for scars sets out what any of them can realistically do, and how much you will get through.
See Genova Silicone Scar Gel →
What none of them can do for a scar on mature skin
None of these products removes a scar. Silicone changes how a scar looks and feels over months, and that is the whole of the offer.
None of them fills a pitted or sunken scar, because the shortfall sits below the surface. None settles a large or growing keloid on its own, and a keloid that is spreading, painful or changing belongs with a doctor. None of them does anything for stretch marks. And starting at the wrong stage is worse than starting late: putting a scar gel on skin that has not closed risks the wound, not just the result.
Realistic expectations
At the scar stage, expect the itch and tightness to settle first, then gradual change in colour and texture across eight to twelve weeks of daily use, with more over three to six months. Stratpharma's 60 to 90 day minimum says the same thing in their words.
Scars continue to mature for a year or more, and skin after 45 generally moves more slowly. Results vary from person to person.
Who each one suits after 45
Stratamed suits you if you have just had surgery, a laser procedure or another treatment that has left broken or compromised skin, and you want to start early rather than wait. Take your surgeon's instructions first.
Strataderm suits you if your skin has closed, you want a product your pharmacist stocks and knows, or you are following a specialist's recommendation.
Genova Silicone Scar Gel suits you if your skin has closed, you want an Australian-made cosmetic gel that sits under sunscreen and makeup, and you would rather buy enough for a full course in one go.
None of them is right if you are looking for scar removal, or if a scar is behaving in a way that worries you. That is a GP conversation.
Strataderm and Stratamed questions women over 45 ask most
Can you use Strataderm on an open wound?
No. Stratpharma state plainly that Strataderm must not be used on open wounds or broken skin, and point to Stratamed for that stage.
Is Stratamed just a stronger version of Strataderm?
No, it is a different kind of product for a different point in the process. Stratamed is a wound dressing that is sterile until opened and bacteriostatic. Strataderm is a scar gel for skin that has already closed.
How do I know my wound has closed?
No gap or weeping, no scab, sutures removed, and the surface intact. If you are not sure, ask the surgeon, GP or practice nurse who managed the wound rather than guessing.
Can you put sunscreen or makeup over a silicone scar gel?
Once it is completely dry, yes. Stratpharma confirm this for their gel and it holds for ours. In Australia the sunscreen step matters, because sun on a young scar tends to darken it. Our guide to sunscreen over silicone scar gel covers the order.
Can I use a cosmetic scar gel instead of the pharmacy one?
At the closed-scar stage you have a genuine choice between silicone products, and cost per millilitre and whether you will keep using it are the practical differences. At the open-wound stage you do not have a choice, and a cosmetic gel is not the right product.
If you have just come home with a dressing and a shopping list, the kindest thing anyone can tell you is to slow down by a fortnight. Get the wound closed properly, with whatever your surgeon has asked you to use. Then start the scar work and commit to three months of it. The stage you are at decides the product, and getting that order right matters more than which brand you settle on.
For when the skin has closed
An Australian-made cosmetic silicone gel for the scar stage, sized so a full course does not run out in the middle.
12-Week Course, 2 pack 2 x 30ml. Enough to see out a 12-week course on a longer scar.
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, it is for fully healed skin only, and it is not a wound dressing or a substitute for advice from your surgeon, GP or practice nurse. Follow the wound care instructions you were given. 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. Stratamed product information and frequently asked questions. stratamed.com and stratpharma.com, accessed 18 September 2026.
- Stratpharma AG. Strataderm frequently asked questions. strataderm.com, accessed 18 September 2026.
- Hong N, Sheng B, Yu P. Early postoperative interventions in the prevention and management of thyroidectomy scars. Frontiers in Physiology. 2024;15:1341287.
- 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.
- Australian retailer listings for Stratamed and Strataderm: Priceline Pharmacy, Chemist Warehouse, SuperPharmacyPlus, Pittwater Pharmacy and Discount Chemist Online, checked 18 September 2026.
