Dr Ray Woods, featured on Australia’s “Good Medicine” back in 2000. Cancer patient Rosie was left with an 8cm bald patch after having a cancerous lump removed from the top of her head. After seeing Dr Woods on the same program three years earlier, Rosie decided to opt for FUE , referred in the program as “micro-grafting”. Filmed in 1999, aired in 2000.
As a historical reference, the channel 9 " GOOD MEDICINE" team filmed in 1996 and aired in early 1997.
On that occasion they refused to mention the term FUE as they consulted with doctors in Australia and the USA and found that the HT industry did not recognise FUE…But they filmed anyway as they knew the procedure worked regardless of name, and results were aired in 1997.
There was a massive protest from Australian and International doctors who lobbied to have any further TV presentations banned. So I was effectively black balled and refused TV advertising…but it didnt matter. The first show went national and the word was out.
Before the ban, a program was being prepared where the full procedure and instrumentation was to be shown…after the ban, various doctors called me and made it clear that this new approach was to be kept from the public and tightly "controlled " by these guys. The foxes wanted to guard the hen house.
The doctors who were KNOWINGLY AND WILLFULLY causing massive damage and disfigurement in order to make fast easy money wanted to control FUE and all PR…MY RESPONSE WAS PREDICTABLE.
In 1999 a new producer for the program called me and apologised about the ban and asked if I could do a female case…I went one better and did a female case with severe surgery and radiation scarring baldness. BUT THEY STILL REFUSED TO USE THE TERM FUE…this infuriated me as even at that stage, their international research showed that NO ONE in the world was using the term FUE…except me.
Most doctors pretty well figured out what I was up to, but as it involved a level of microsurgery , skill, and much much longer hours for relatively less money, they tried to torpedo FUE, claiming it was just old punch grafting. If they succeeded in this PR campaign, which went on for years, STRIP SURGERY would still be mainstream and FUE discredited.
I proved that donor could be conserved and much greater less traumatic results with less follicles than punch or strip could be achieved.
So the best FUE was presented, and established. Now it is a fact, but sadly, doctors with the same hacking greedy mentality have swapped a scalpel for a drill …and business continues as usual.
Dr Ray Woods
First female FUE case in the world?
I performed the first female FUE in the mid 1990s. I will try to find the archive tape.
But this patient here is the worlds first FUE female scar repair.
Dr Ray Woods