The 21-year-old from Sungai Petani, Kedah lives with a rare hormone-related medical condition that has affected her hair growth since birth.
Yet, despite the unwanted attention and occasional hurtful remarks, Rishika has never allowed it to define her sense of self.
FMT Lifestyle recently spoke with Rishika, who talked about growing up with the condition and learning to embrace herself fully.
“When people stared or laughed at me in public, I used to ask my parents why, because I was too young to understand at the time.
“My parents would say, ‘You’re really famous, that’s why people are looking at you.’ Since I grew up with that mindset, I was never insecure,” she shared.
Rishika, who works part-time at a clinic, added that her family has always been her biggest source of strength. She speaks warmly of her three siblings, saying they have never treated her differently.
“Everybody treats me like a queen at home; so, as I grew up, I started to accept and love myself,” she said.
Rishika recounted that throughout secondary school, she wore a scarf to cover her head. But when she entered university, she decided to stop doing this.
“I thought that if there is someone else like me, I wouln’t want them to see me hiding. They should feel empowered to come out and be themselves, too.”
The decision was not an easy one: her first day at university felt overwhelming, with the stares eventually triggering a panic attack.
Things slowly improved and, within a week, many of the same people who initially gawked became her close friends.
Yet, even now, she still encounters the odd insensitive remark. “When I went to renew my IC, the officer asked me, ‘Are you a cancer patient?’” she recalled.
“That really hurt my mother. It’s just not the right way to approach someone.”
And while her condition has not improved despite medical consultations, she refuses hormonal injections or any changes to her appearance.
“People have advised me to wear a wig, a cap, or try a hair transplant. I understand they are saying all that with good intentions, but I love myself like this and I feel complete,” she stressed.
This sense of self-acceptance is what gave Rishika the confidence to share herself more openly on social media. Since 2024, she has been posting covers of Tamil songs, with some videos reaching up to two million views.
Although she occasionally encounters negative comments online, she credits her family for helping her stay grounded and confident.
She explained that she began recording her singing after going through a rough time. “But I would never post the videos because I was too scared about what people would say,” she acknowledged.
When Rishika eventually found the courage to upload one of her recordings, the video went viral, surpassing 100,000 views.
Most of the responses were encouraging, though a handful of cruel comments still affected her deeply, including being called “botak”.
“I started crying after that, but my father encouraged me to keep posting,” she said.
Today, Rishika has more than 20,000 followers across social media and has connected with many others living with similar conditions or physical differences.
Some messages, she noted, have stayed with her long after reading them.
“A mother from Sri Lanka messaged me and asked me to speak to her eight-year-old daughter who looked exactly like me, so she would feel better about herself.
“Talking to her made me realise that I’m not alone in this,” she said.
As she plans to further her studies, Rishika continues finding her voice – not only through music, but also by encouraging others to embrace themselves without fear.