Neither can be said to be better. Silicone gels and sheets are widely recommended in scar-management guidance, but systematic reviews have found that the certainty of evidence for some outcomes is low or very low. Two randomised trials that compared a gel with a sheet directly found no significant difference between them, and both had limits: one was small and short, and neither had an untreated comparison group. The formats differ in how they are used: a gel is applied and left to dry, and a sheet is worn.
Comparison
Scarless vs silicone sheets: gel or sheet for scars?
Scarless is a topical silicone scar gel from Goodness Care: a gel that you apply to the scar and leave to dry. Cica-Care is described on Smith+Nephew's Australian product page as a silicone gel sheet: a sheet that you wear on the scar. Both are for closed skin, not open wounds. This page compares the documented characteristics of the two formats, using Cica-Care as the sheet example. Results are not compared.
Reviewed by Raed Salah, Pharmacist and Technical DirectorLast reviewed September 2026
Quick comparison
| Scarless | Cica-Care | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Silicone gel that dries on the skin | Silicone gel sheet, self-adhesive, cut to fit |
| How it is used | Applied: a thin layer is spread over the scar | Worn: the adhesive side is placed on the scar, without stretching |
| Daily routine | Two to three times a day | Worn for at least 12 hours a day, and 24 hours if possible, after a gradual build-up |
| Sizes | 15 g tube | 6 cm × 12 cm, 3 cm × 12 cm and 12 cm × 15 cm sheets (Australia) |
| Open wounds | No. Closed, fully healed skin only | No. Not on open wounds |
What they have in common
Based on each product's own published information:
- Silicone. Both are silicone products: a silicone gel for Scarless, and a silicone gel sheet for Cica-Care.
- Placed on the scar. Both are placed directly on the scar.
- Closed skin only. Neither is for open wounds.
Key differences
Based on each product's own published information:
- Applied or worn. Scarless is a gel that is spread over the scar and left to dry. Cica-Care, according to its Australian product page, is a self-adhesive gel sheet that is placed on the scar with its adhesive side down.
- Cleaning, reuse and replacing. Cica-Care's Australian product page says to clean the sheet twice a day with mild soap, that it can be washed and reused on the same person, and that it is replaced when it begins to wear or cleaning is difficult, usually after 28 days.
Application compared
Each manufacturer's own instructions, side by side:
- How to apply. Scarless: squeeze out a small amount, spread a thin layer over the scar and rub in gently until it dries. Cica-Care, according to its Australian product page: wash and dry the scar, cut the sheet to fit with a small overlap over the surrounding skin, remove the plastic sheet and apply the adhesive side to the scar without stretching. A light bandage or tape can be used, but it should not hold the sheet too tightly.
- How often. Scarless: two to three times a day. Cica-Care: wear time is built up gradually to at least 12 hours a day, and 24 hours if possible, and the sheet is cleaned twice a day with mild soap.
- When to start. Scarless is for closed skin only. It must not be applied to open wounds or unhealed incisions, or before sutures are removed. Cica-Care's Australian product page says the sheet is not for open wounds, and that on a surgical incision it is used only after the sutures have been removed and the site is fully healed.
- For the full routine, see how to apply Scarless.
Which may suit whom
Each has documented features that may matter to different people:
- Cica-Care may suit someone who wants a sheet that can be washed and reused, cut to the size of the scar and worn for many hours a day. It may also suit someone who wants a choice of three sheet sizes.
- Scarless may suit someone who wants a silicone gel that contains squalane, an olive-derived emollient, and a stable vitamin C derivative, in a 15 g tube. It may also suit someone who prefers a gel that dries on the skin to a sheet that is worn. Sunscreen may be applied after Scarless has dried.
- If you are not sure which suits your scar, a pharmacist or doctor can advise.
- The two formats are also discussed more generally in silicone gel or silicone sheets: how to choose.
What the evidence can and cannot tell us
Silicone as a class. Silicone gels and sheets are widely recommended in scar-management guidance, particularly for hypertrophic scars and keloids. However, systematic reviews have found that the certainty of evidence for some outcomes is low or very low.
Gel compared with sheet. Two randomised trials compared a silicone gel with a silicone sheet directly. Both found no significant difference between them: one in 30 people with scars after surgery, followed for three months, and one in caesarean scars, scored on the Vancouver Scar Scale. Both have limits: the first is small and short, and neither had an untreated comparison group, so neither can show how either format compares with no treatment.
The ingredients beyond silicone. The research on squalane and on vitamin C derivatives looks at the ingredients themselves, not at Scarless as a finished product.
A direct comparison. No published study comparing Scarless and Cica-Care directly has been identified.
Scarless may help improve the appearance of scars. More on the research, and its limits, is on the published research page.
Frequently asked questions
No published study has compared Scarless and Cica-Care directly, so neither can be said to give better results. The documented differences are in the format, a gel that is applied and a sheet that is worn, in the daily routine and in the sizes available, as set out above.
According to its Australian product page, the Cica-Care sheet is cleaned twice a day with mild soap, can be washed and reused on the same person, and is replaced when it begins to wear or cleaning is difficult, usually after 28 days.
Cica-Care's Australian product page says that for small scars the sheet is cut to fit, with a small overlap over the surrounding skin, and that for large scars several sheets are used side by side.
Cica-Care is a trademark of Smith+Nephew, used here only to identify the product. Goodness Care is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Cica-Care or Smith+Nephew.
Sources
- Smith+Nephew (Australia): CICA-CARE Silicone Gel Sheet for Scar Treatment (Australia pharmacy product page, incl. Instructions for Use, Precautions, Contraindications) (accessed September 30, 2026)
- Meaume S, Le Pillouer-Prost A, Richert B et al. Management of scars: updated practical guidelines and use of silicones. Eur J Dermatol 2014;24(4):435-43. PMID 25141160
- Monstrey S, Middelkoop E, Vranckx JJ et al. Updated scar management practical guidelines: non-invasive and invasive measures. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 2014;67(8):1017-25. PMID 24888226
- Jiang Q, Chen J, Tian F et al. Silicone gel sheeting for treating hypertrophic scars. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2021;9(9):CD013357. PMID 34564840
- Kim SM, Choi JS, Lee JH et al. Prevention of postsurgical scars: comparsion of efficacy and convenience between silicone gel sheet and topical silicone gel. J Korean Med Sci 2014;29 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):S249-53. PMID 25473216
- Lin YS, Ting PS, Hsu KC. Does the form of dressings matter?: A comparison of the efficacy in the management of postoperative scars between silicone sheets and silicone gel: a randomized controlled trial. Medicine (Baltimore) 2018;97(32):e11767. PMID 30095630
- Scarless: Goodness Care's product information on this site.
This is a topical gel for external use on intact, fully healed skin. Do not apply it to open wounds, unhealed incisions, or infected or irritated skin. It does not replace medical advice: ask a doctor or pharmacist about a scar that is painful, growing, restricting movement, or not improving.
Where to next
A few ways forward
See how to apply Scarless, where to find it, or ask us a question.
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Order onlineHow to use it
How to apply Scarless to a fully healed scar, and for how long.
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