George Kottaridis interview on FortuneGreece.com

George Kottaridis, Head of Clinical Development at DHI London, Glasgow and Manchester speaks to FortuneGreece.com about the company that revolutionized hair transplantation, giving thousands of people a beautiful appearance and confidence.

The full article from fortunegreece.com is following.

DHI: The Greek “revolution” in the field of hair restoration

George Kottaridis talks about the company, the global network and the DHI expertise used by hundreds of doctors abroad.

Text by Maria Akrivi

The medical sciences that have to do with aesthetics have always been popular, even more so now that the procedures have been simplified and costs have dropped significantly.

Plastic surgery and hair implantation are high on the list of those who want to improve their appearance and revive their spirit. You do not need to look far, since the only comprehensive and certified hair restoration system is patented here in Greece!

DHI is considered a pioneer in the field. VIPS and many important personalities have entrusted DHI, including the Prince of Qatar and the Indian steel billionaire Arselor Mittal. For 44 years DHI is exclusively engaged in the research, diagnosis and treatment of hair loss.

DHI was founded in 1970 at Palo Alto, California, by Constantine P. Giotis and now operates in 50 cities around the world. By the end of 2015 DHI plans to open new clinics in Madrid, Moscow, New York, Jakarta, Stockholm and ten more clinics in India and Australia .

The novelty of the DHI Total Care System is that hair implantation is performed with 100 % natural results and the maximum possible density per session. DHI technique does not remove the skin from the back of the head as is done in the traditional “strip” procedure.

It is significant to mention that the economic crisis of the last five years has led to a 30% increase of other forms of alopecia and hair loss in women, mostly related to stress, anxiety and other psychogenic factors.

Mr. Kottaridis, tell us about the first steps of DHI and the “magic formula” that made the DHI Medical Group a world leader in medical hair restoration.

The company was founded in 1970 by my uncle Constantine P. Giotis in Palo Alto California. Still an immigrant in the US, he had seen the great potential of hair restoration in men and womenand he devoted all his life to hair restoration. He had a hair loss problem himself and has had several hair transplants in his life time. In 1977 he brought the DHI expertise back to his native Greece and throughout Europe. With the help of his sister and brother-in law Vicky and Constantine Kottaridis he managed to create a unique course of action in medical hair restoration.

The key ingredient to success is Mr. Giotis’ love and devotion to hair restoration, since the company deals exclusively with the research, diagnosis and treatment of hair loss, for 44 plus years!

K.P.Giotis is the inventor of the ‘’DHI Total Care System’’ of ‘’DHI Techniques’’ and the ‘’DHI Academy’’ which aim to offer the best and latest technologies to all DHI clients around the world. Although he is not a doctor, K.P.Giotis has been invited to numerous global medical conferences to present patents and DHI innovations.

While the brand is widely known, few know that the company is a Greek interest. Why did you not seek to show the Greek identity?

I would not say that very few know that the company is a Greek interest. In fact anyone dealing with hair transplantation in Greece knows that the company is Greek. DHI has trained over 120 physicians in the field of hair restoration while a very large number of global doctors and hair restoration providers, that are currently pursuing hair implantation, owe much of their existence to DHI.

The company is widely known abroad, especially in countries such as France and England, where DHI has been present for over 20 years, as well as in other countries such as Saudi Arabia and India. DHI clients seek Greeks doctors because of their specialization and very high level of medical expertise.

In how many countries do you have centers and in which markets is hair implantation more in need?

We have clinics in 50 cities around the world, with six clinics in the UK , 16 clinics in India , clinics in Saudi Arabia, UAE , the US , France, Italy , Germany, Turkey , Morocco , Philippines , Bulgaria Denmark , Norway Portugal among others . Demand is increasing in almost all countries in which we operate but the greatest demand occurs in India, Great Britain, France, USA, Turkey and Greece.

By the end of 2015 we plan to open new clinics in Madrid, Moscow, New York, Jakarta, Stockholm and another 10 clinics in India and Australia.

How is the financial performance of the Group’s 2013 balance sheet assessed?

As a private company we do not disclose the financial data of the Group but I can tell you that during 2013, DHI clinics worldwide conducted more than 4,800 sessions, an increase of over 35% compared with 2012.

What kinds of methods do you use and how do they differ from those of your competitors?

The DHI Total Care System is an integrated, certified hair restoration system.

Without removing skin from the back of the head but having 100 % natural results and the maximum possible density per session, the DHI Technique can offer amazing results. Thanks to the specific medical protocols followed, these great results can be achieved in all DHI global clinics.

The economic crisis has clearly had an impact on the psychology of Europeans, leading to increasing number of psychosomatic disorders. Have your company seen an increase of its customer base during this time?

The majority of our clients are people with androgenetic alopecia that can rarely be affected directly by psychosomatic disorders. However we have seen a huge increase of 30% over the last five years in other forms of alopecia as well as in women hair loss, which is possibly related to stress, anxiety, etc.

What was the most difficult case you had to perform?

We perform difficult cases every day, since our specialty is particularly demanding and hair loss has a very sensitive psychological aspect. I could mention some very challenging cases, such as the sessions of three family members of the prince of Qatar who wanted the session to be performed at a yacht rather than at a clinic. The yacht was fully equipped in order to have all the necessary equipment and materials for the sessions. I could also mention a session performed in our London clinic for the Indian steel billionaire Mr. Mittal, for whom we secured the entire six floors of the clinic during his session.

What qualifications must one have to work in DHI?

Hard work and honesty are key elements sought by the company to each employee. Our work is unique and we prefer special people with love for what we do.

What are the immediate plans of the group?

Our planning for the next two years is based on two goals: First, to develop DHI Academy, a school that trains doctors and nurses in the field of medical hair restoration and the introduction of hair implantation as a medical practice in Greek or foreign universities . Second, we plan to open at least 15 new clinics in Asia, Australia, USA and Europe.