In our practice we
have always made a strong distinction between shock fallout and
shedding. Shedding refers to the temporary shedding of hair shafts.
This occurs in a variety of conditions which include medical
illness, psychological stress, physiological conditions, post childbirths
etc.
In hair
transplantation it occurs due to the "activity" that
occurs in the surgical field, including anesthetic injections,
incisions made to the skin, and over all stress to the area. This
pre-existing terminal hair will regrow as the follicle is alive and
well, it is just not up to supporting the hairshaft during this time
of stress. It therefore decides to shed the shaft. The hair will
regrow.
However we refer to shock fallout as being a permanent loss of hair
simply because the follicle has been physically destroyed. This is
actually quite easy to do, and can occur in a split second. If an
incision is made by a needle, punch, slit, or whatever directly on
top of or encroaching upon follicles, the follicle is simply
destroyed or seriously damaged.
That is why we do what we do, and is further explained in the
Woods Technique declaration of patient rights.
To an industry where time is money and high volume mentality is
common practice, our approach is very unpopular. As you all have
witnessed attempts to discredit us are profuse. Maybe they don't
want the public getting some weird notion that we are actually
right. It's a good thing that we decided that in order to change
this industry, the last people you need to impress are the Doctors.
The only people we care to impress are the patients. They will do
the rest and demand that the industry sits up and listens. Doctor
Campbell and I could have used our extraction technique but then
employed a small army of assistants which is accepted practice. Our
income would have more than quadrupled and our lives would have been
a lot easier. But we have and will always be true to the principles
outlined in the Declaration
Of Patient Rights, and
will only deal with doctors who are prepared to do the same.
Dr. Ray Woods
Dr. Angela Campbell
