Category Archives: Hasson & Wong

Hasson & Wong, Farmacia Parati, Liposomal, Topical Finasteride

Dr. Hasson Updates us on Topical Finasteride

57 Comments

In June 2014, I wrote a popular post on topical finasteride that I  have since updated a few times. Shortly thereafter, someone from the Hasson & Wong clinic in Vancouver, Canada e-mailed me. They wanted to let me know that they now prescribe topical finasteride for hair loss.

Fast forward to several days ago, and Dr. Victor Hasson posted a detailed comment in that original blog post. I thought that his comment deserved its own post. Here is Dr. Hasson’s update:

Our topical finasteride solution that we have been using for the past 2 years has proven to be very effective. It has been used primarily in patients who had been experiencing side effects on the oral drug. These patients have been free of side effects on the topical formulation.

This is a good sign that the drug is unlikely to be going systemic via cutaneous permeation. We are currently performing tests using Franz diffusion cells with the The University of Milan to get more data.

Once we have secured a reliable source for dutasteride we will start testing topical formulations with this drug as it will likely be more effective.

A new liposomal formulation of topical finasteride is currently available to our European patients. It has been developed in collaboration with Farmacia Parati in Italy. This preparation can be obtained from this company. You will require a physicians prescription for this, as the formulation needs to be compounded on a case by case basis. This is in order to comply with European and FDA regulations.

Victor Hasson MD

I am impressed by the efforts that the Hassson & Wong clinic is putting into creating their own topical finasteride and topical dutasteride products. A 2007 study on liposomal delivery of finasteride suggests that this route  will be effective.

If the results from these topical products consistently prove to be as good or superior to oral finasteride, this development will be a game changer. Especially if there are fewer side effects.

ARTAS, Hasson & Wong

100th ARTAS Robot Sold by Restoration Robotics

Leave a comment

In my post about the end of strip hair transplants, I discussed the sudden departure of Jotronic from the Hasson & Wong (H&W) clinic after many years of working for them. Despite their stellar results and unmatched online reputation, H&W only offered strip procedures and never seemed to consider FUE as a serious alternative. In spite of the fact that the whole hair transplant industry was moving towards FUE. However, it looks like this thinking may be changing very soon.

100th ARTAS Robotic System Just Sold

Apparently, Hassson & Wong just purchased the 100th ever ARTAS robotic FUE extraction system. It seems like the clinic will now be offering FUE, unless this is just an experimental expensive venture. ARTAS (from Restoration Robotics) only became commercially available in 2011. However, it seems to have taken the industry by storm. This groundbreaking 100th sale to a renowned previously strip only clinic will only add to the popularity of robotic FUE hair transplant surgery.

I would guess that hair transplant prices will come down in the next several years due to this increasing automation necessitating less staff. Perhaps Restoration Robotics will then be able to reduce the price of its ARTAS system, as it sells more of them and achieves economies of scale.

Before ARTAS, strip hair transplant surgeons wishing to start practicing FUE had to sometimes guess the best graft extraction methodology. Often via some improvisation and invention of proprietary tools. The time consuming nature of FUE extractions and inconsistent graft survival rates probably prevented many strip only practitioners from shifting to FUE. ARTAS has changed the game completely. No more human fatigue and inconsistency related problems during FUE extraction.

Even more exciting, ARTAS may be able to create recipient sites and place grafts in the future.