Every investment made in Armenia is already a unique manifestation of patriotism, and one of the apostles is Helen Azarian, who founded Helios Medical Center in Armenia in 2007. During my interview for Hayern Aysor, Helen emphasized her concern about the aesthetic problems of women and people in general, that is, the problems with combining health and beauty.

Karine Avagyan: Mrs. Azarian, who came up with the idea of opening this medical center? Who sponsored and supported the opening of the medical center?

Helen Azarian: I came up with the idea due to circumstances. While I was conducting my internship as a dermatovenerologist, I thought of creating a center in Armenia where Armenian aesthetic medicine could meet international standards and even go the extra mile. That “extra mile” was the use of the brains and potential of talented Armenians. Whereas aesthetic medicine abroad is conditioned by the use of high-class, innovative and state-of-the-art equipment, aesthetic medicine in Armenia is conditioned by the minds and brains of Armenians. As a dermatologist, I must say that a person’s skin is simply the reaction to the various changes that take place in our other organs and to diseases. So, we needed to lay the foundations. First, we opened a diagnostic laboratory. Later, we opened a dermatology section and hired narrow specialists, including an endocrinologist, a gastroenterologist, a gynecologist, etc. All this is important in order to have a complete picture. The human organism is not just the skin, but also the nails and hair and other parts of the body. For that reason, in 2016, I came up with the idea of establishing a podology center in order to not only provide my customers with manicure and pedicure, but also help them prevent and treat various diseases. In 2009, the second building was already open. Currently, our center has three divisions located at 11/2 Sayat Nova Street. People know us, trust us and appreciate us. The philosophy of our center is “No health, no beauty”, that is, we need to provide treatment and then make a person beautiful and show an aesthetic approach. Our center is growing. We always need to be on top and never forget that aesthetic medicine is developing very quickly. So, we must not stay behind. Our other idea is to create an aesthetic gynecology division that is also very important for women. It is no secret that the main reason for most diseases is the disturbances of the nervous system and stress that definitely have an impact on a person’s appearance (skin, hair, nails). A person’s face, skin, eyes, eyelashes, hair and all types of skin additives are a reflection of all the changes that take place within the internal organs of a human being.

Karine Avagyan: You undertook the initiative and chose the specialists. Could you please tell us who sponsored the opening of the center? Who provided financial assistance?

Helen Azarian: Of course, my husband, architect Philip Patatanian and I opened the medical center, and my husband was also one of the major designers of the building. He supports me and keeps me standing firmly on my feet. I do the rest. We have made every investment.

Karine Avagyan: Dr. Helen, is this the first and only medical center that you have established?

Helen Azarian: The first Helios Center was established in 1993 in Kuwait. Before that, there was no such center in Kuwait since aesthetic medicine was not too developed. We were one of the first ones. Our sponsor in Kuwait was Dr. Ahmad Al-Ensari, who created the first private clinic. Afterwards, other medical centers were established. In the beginning, we were provided with a small room in a basement. Now, our medical center is housed on the second, third and fourth floors of that same building. The center in Yerevan can be considered a branch of the center in Kuwait.

Karine Avagyan: How many jobs did the establishment of the medical center in Yerevan help create?

Helen Azarian: The establishment of our medical center in Yerevan helped create about 55 jobs. Helios has 45 employees, and the Podology Department has 15 employees. We plan on expanding in the future.

Karine Avagyan: It seems as though you are not advertised…

Helen Azarian: Yes, you are right. I agree with that. I thought we could advertise by word of mouth, but it turns out that we are growing quickly and can’t manage to spread the word at the same pace. I have made appearances on television to advertise a new product, but that hasn’t helped me present the medical center in its entirety. So, yes, I find that there is a need for advertising, and we have decided to be a little more active in that field next year.

Karine Avagyan: Mrs. Azarian, it is clear that you are a specialized, experienced and professional expert and meet international standards. Do you provide your employees with training courses?

Helen Azarian: Of course! I send them to take training courses several times, according to profession. If necessary, we invite experts so that they can host classes on the spot. We also send our employees.

Karine Avagyan: Does your center have the reputation that allows it to invite experts to host training courses?

Helen Azarian: First, I must say that one of the goals of our medical center is to move aesthetic medicine to a higher level. A couple of years ago, our center became a center for post-graduate training for cosmetologists. Helios Medical Center is considered a clinical base of the Chair of Dermatovenerology and Therapeutic Cosmetology at Yerevan State Medical University. The graduates of the Department of Dermatology/Cosmetology of Yerevan State Medical University take training courses at our center.

Karine Avagyan: Do you always fulfill your visitors’ desires to make changes on this or that part of their bodies, or do they change their minds after listening to your experts’ words of advice?

Helen Azarian: When your client pays you and forces you to fulfill his or her desire, you become your client’s plaything, even if that is not right from our perspective…In such cases, our experts and I can become mannequins. We don’t accept that. You can’t pay a doctor and force him or her to do whatever you want. I listen to my clients. I show them the way.

Karine Avagyan: Does your center offer discounts?

Helen Azarian: Yes, right now, on the occasion of the New Year, we are offering a 30% discount, but we compare the prices for the provision of such services in Armenia and offer lower prices. Of course, that is not to our benefit, but we simply take into consideration the living standard of the population. Our clients always express their gratitude, be it in person or via letters. We are pleased with the fact that we can set people in a good mood and relieve them of extra skin, hair and other additives and the complexities caused by other factors. Helios Center is trustworthy, clean, has a staff of kind employees and is completely based on aesthetics. Our medical center conducts laboratory research with the state-of-the-art devices of internationally recognized companies and is equipped with the VITEK 2 COMPACT automatic analyzer.

Karine Avagyan: Could you please tell us about your relationship with the RA Ministry of Diaspora and popular manicurist Jessica Vartoughian?

Helen Azarian: I had read about Jessica Vartoughian in a magazine, and what attracted me was the fact that she was Armenian and had created such a trademark. I decided to meet her in person. I traveled to the States, met her, told her about our medical center and told her that I would like to introduce her product at our center, and she agreed with pleasure. She came to Armenia and helped us build the Podology Center with her words of advice. She is very demanding and conducts the podology exams. If she is not satisfied with something, she doesn’t grant a certificate. Her advice and experience are very valuable for us. As far as the Ministry of Diaspora is concerned, particularly the Minister of Diaspora, I must say that I am very grateful to her for promising to attend the opening of our Podology Center and keeping her promise. I attach great importance to the role of the Ministry in the preservation of the Armenian identity and the Minister’s interesting programs and projects.

This was what Helen and I talked about during our interview. Once again, I became convinced that Armenians have the power to create.

Karine Avagyan