Meet Pretty Natural Diva: Ajoke of Ajwitafro.com!

Many of you may recognize aJ from her blog, www.ajwitafro.com, or Curly Nikki and Afroniquely You! Check out our interview with her!

JAS: Tell us a little about yourself!

Well, my name is Ajoke but most of my friends call me aJ. I’ve been natural for over 10 years (combined). I blog, I vlog, and I love anything African Inspired and relating to natural hair.

JAS: What made you go natural and how long have you been Natural? Did you transition or BC?

I was natural from the time I was born until I turned 10. I got perms until I was 13. Going into the 8^th grade I decided that I no longer wanted to relax my hair because I didn’t know how to take care of it very well and my hair “wasn’t growing”.

When I first transitioned, I wore braids for months and slowly the relaxed ends starting breaking off and then eventually I just cut it all off but overall it was a long transition.

In 2007, I got a texturizer (BIG mistake) and I was so unimpressed with the results that I BC’d like 3 weeks later. From then , I’ve been fully natural but it wasn’t until April of this year that I actually started to venture on my “hair journey” and learn about proper hair care practices, styling, and products.

JAS: What products do you currently use?

I use a variety of products and I switch it up quite often as I’m still very enthralled with trying new brands; however, there are a few products that I would consider staples if I try new things and it doesn’t work out.

1.    EVOO & Virgin Coconut Oil are my two favorite natural oils

2.    For leave-ins I use Garnier Fructis Sleek n Shine or Carefree Curl Gold

3.    Organix Coconut Shampoo has also been a staple of mine and the shampoo and conditioner of Herbal Essences Hello Hydration have also been good for me

I’m still searching for the perfect styling products for twisting, etc but I love using Fantasia gel for my wash n gos.

JAS: What are some of the positive/negative comments that you've received about your hair?

Positive: A lot of people want to go natural but they have their apprehensions about natural hair, I really like knowing that me being natural is an inspiration for others. Also, a lot of people like it when I wear unique styles that you can’t do with a perm!

Negative: A lot of people ask me questions like, “When are you going to do your hair?” or “Why don’t you get a perm?”. I think those people are just stuck in the mentality that everyone is supposed to have a relaxer and if you don’t have one then there must be something wrong. However, I’ve never had any extremely harsh comments but people asking me those kind of questions used to bother me in the past.

JAS: What words of encouragement do you have for those who are transitioning or for natural newbies?

Wear styles that you’re comfortable with and that make you feel confident and try not to get too overwhelmed with information and products. Overall I would say to really embrace your hair journey, enjoy it and use it for more than just “going natural” you can use your natural hair journey to become a whole new person and change a lot of other things about your life and the way that you think.

JAS: What do you think is the biggest misconception that non-Naturals have about natural hair? What is the biggest myth in the Natural hair community?

I think a lot of people who don’t have natural hair have this perception that natural hair is ugly and it makes you look unkept. I believe that this stems from a skewed sense of beauty based on the influence from society and mass media.

In terms of myths within the natural hair community, I feel that a lot of people believe great lengths can only be achieved if you have a looser curl pattern or “good hair”. I know that I used to think this before too but now that I have been able to grow my hair longer than it’s ever been, I know that this isn’t true. I’ve also seen many other women with type 4, tightly coily hair who have waist length hair and beyond.

JAS: You have your own blog, "www.ajwitafro.com". For those who may not be familiar with it, can you share a little info about it?

My blog is essentially about documenting my personal hair journey and things that I’m learning that I’d like to share. I like to keep it very natural hair focused and educational but entertaining at the same time. I post all of my video tutorials on there as well and as I continue to blog, I’m sure there will be an evolution in the content.

JAS: What inspired you to start a blog and youtube channel?

I’d been following natural hair youtubers for a long time and then when I started putting some of their tips into practice I decided that having my own blog and youtube channel would be a good way to document my progress and share my journey with others.

Plus, I feel that contributing content to the natural hair community brings your involvement to another level and you can really begin to cultivate deeper relationships with other naturals and learn more about the struggles of other people.

I also think that it is a huge confidence and self esteem booster so I think it can be very beneficial to put yourself out there because people will leave a lot of encouraging comments so it keeps you motivated on your journey even if people around you in real life don’t feel the same way.

JAS: You've written articles for CurlyNikki.com and AfroniquelyYou.com. What do you enjoy most about your internet presence?

Honestly, I love being able to meet like minded people and connect with another women who have natural hair. One thing I love is interaction so I really like to be able to chat back and forth with people and connect with them. Writing for larger blogs gives me more of a chance to connect with other naturals and get their opinions on my topics.

My favorite place to interact online would have to be Twitter. I feel that it’s a very non-threatening way to chat with people who you may not have the opportunity to otherwise.

JAS: Any last words for our readers?

Do what you love, live a life of passion and & don’t be afraid to be different!