Facing the bald truth
Newscaster Aminhayat Abdul Rahim opens up about overcoming a hair loss condition called alopecia.
EVER heard of the adage “The same boiling water that softens the potato, hardens the egg?”
Life can be like that and it is perhaps the best way to describe the journey of TV9 newscaster Aminhayat Abdul Rahim. When things get harder for him, he becomes tougher.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Information Technology from University of Technology, Malaysia in Johor Baru, he took a huge risk by chasing his dream to become a journalist.
Starting as a broadcast journalist, he has been promoted to producer.
During his nine year tenure in TV9, Aminhayat won five prestigious awards. In May 2014, he was recognised as Broadcast Journalist of The Year by The National Press Club. The award was presented by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He was then chosen to represent Malaysian media personnel to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific two times in Bangkok, Thailand.
The workshop saw participation of more than 20 international media personnel from the region including Thailand, India, China, South Korea and Myanmar. Aminhayat was chosen based on the recognition he received from media organisations locally.
He was also handpicked by the Malaysian Aids Council to represent the country as part of a delegation to Zurich, Switzerland, in August 2014 to study the drug policies of a developed country.
Aminhayat’s idol is Anderson Cooper of CNN. He also looks up to two Malaysian icons, namely Datuk Aznil Nawawi and Datuk Mahathir Lokman.
Prior to his involvement in journalism, he modelled on the runaway as well as in magazine shoots and television commercials.
But life threw him a curveball when he was diagnosed with alopecia areata. Also known as spot baldness, it is a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body.
“I started having alopecia in 2014 but at that time, it was just a small spot. After that, it was cured naturally,” shared Aminhayat, 34. “Early last year, it got worse due to stress, a lack of sleep and my lifestyle.”
His career as a reporter provided him an advantage as he started researching the illness.
“I began to get steroid injections but it didn’t work and only caused me more stress and hair loss,” he revealed. That’s when he took the drastic measure to go completely bald.
“As I work on screen as a newscaster, it did make me wonder whether my company would accept me. As a bald man, can I still read the news?” he recalled.
Thanks to his boss, he remained in his position as a TV9 newscaster. “She was very supportive when I confided in her about my illness.”
In fact, his boss came up with a gimmick Ada apa dengan Aminhayat? (What is the matter with Aminhayat?).
“She suggested running the gimmick for one week. Before the news ended, the newscaster would say ‘Ada apa dengan Aminhayat?’ and asked viewers to stay tuned for updates,” he explained.
On April 22 last year, Aminhayat delivered a special report on alopecia and stunned the nation with his bald noggin.
Having alopecia made him look at the bright side of things. It also made him challenge himself in other ways; last year, he even launched his own fragrance called The Anchor No. 9.
Today, the popular news anchor has rebounded with a full set of hair after overcoming his illness, thanks to treatments he is undergoing at a private clinic in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
“In order to know which treatment worked best for me, I tried a few types ... the most effective is enzyme laser therapy,” said Aminhayat. He also uses essential oils from the United States.
According to him, managing stress and leading a healthy lifestyle are the biggest lessons he learnt from having alopecia.
Aminhayat is now planning to create a support group for alopecia patients. He knows from personal experience that support from family and friends is most crucial.