Anasia’s funky haircut triumphs over hair troubles
BOLD and beautiful is what Anasia Govender is – with or without hair.
Govender recently went public with a Facebook live feed of her cutting off her lovely locks. This was as a result of her being diagnosed with alopecia (patchy hair loss) – something she tried to hide for three years.
The 42 year-old Malvern entrepreneur, singer, actress, poet and comedian – famously known by her alter ego Annalakshmi - broke her silence when she revealed her condition on her live feed. With the support of her husband, Satha, three children – Kamalan “Kamz”, Virusha and Yuveshan Govender, as well as family, friends and fans – she shaved off her tresses.
“I discovered a bald spot three years ago and it was terrifying,” said Govender.
“I was so busy building my comedy career and cooking at my restaurant, I paid very little attention to me and just focused on what I needed to do. My hair was falling and I decided that cutting it was the best option. My hairdresser told me that I needed to see a doctor.
“I completed the treatment prescribed by the doctor but my hair continued to fall.”
Alopecia is an autoimmune disease disorder where the body begins rejecting it’s hair, said Govender. The body responds to the hair follicles as if they were germs of bacteria. They attack the hair follicle causing it to fall out in patches.
During this time her comedy character, Annalakshmi was just gaining fame and Govender focused her attention on building her brand. She was aware of the bald patches spreading, but there was no time to attend to it.
This has been a lesson for her – the value of taking care of herself first. She said she was concerned with how her new fans were going to take to an Annalakshmi without hair. She was also busy with SA’S Got Talent, and wore a hair piece for her performances.
“I concealed the bald patches but finally realised I needed to accept myself and the opinion of others was not my business.i can’t control how people feel about me without my hair but I can control how I feel about myself. I worked up the courage to do a Facebook Live feed showing how I overcame my shame and cut my hair.”
She said having alopecia, has made her conscious of her hair but also compassionate with others experiencing hair loss. She said she has written a comedy about it because “in the grand scheme of things we are so much more than our hair”.
“I have been treating my condition from the beginning but now with less hair it’s so much easier to oil and wash regularly,” she said.
“I love my new haircut, I plan on getting a funky haircut every month and I finally feel free to be me.
“Alopecia has showed me the importance of loving and accepting myself – fat stomach, skinny ankles, bald patches and all. I’m so much more than my hair. We all want to be aesthetically pleasing but it should not define us.”
Since the Facebook live feed, Govender has been inundated with calls and messages from other women experiencing hair loss. All of them were inspired by her video. She said the support has been overwhelming and she has received many compliments on her new look.
“I did wear a wig for my first gig as Annalakshmi but it was uncomfortable, I have just gone on without the wig since then.”
She said her advice to anyone with alopecia is to see their doctor or dermatologist and get a proper diagnosis and get on treatment as soon as possible.