Raven-Symoné Talks 'Good Hair'

Hair Apparent caught up with one of our favorite hair girls -- Raven-Symoné. Though her show 'That's So Raven' is now in syndication, one of the things that riveted us to Raven, other than her outsize talent, was the fact that her hair miraculously transformed into chic cuteness each week.

The starlet who grew up before our very eyes is featured in the new Chris Rock film, 'Good Hair,' a "mockumentary" about the politics and polemics of black hair. The Sundance prize winning flick explores everything from the chemical breakdown of "perms" and the extravaganza that is the Bronner Brothers Hair Show, to the temples in India where we get that "Remy" from.

The demure dynamo was candid about her own hair journey and thoughtful as we delved deep into the hair thing.

What did you think of final cut of 'Good Hair'?

It made me excited that someone is showing me what's going on. It made me excited to see the actual place where I get my hair in India. I personally liked when the scientists came and showed what lye will do to your hair when put on too long. As African Americans we have to realize that God gave us this hair, we have to work with it but we still have to keep our bodies healthy.

Do you think the movie would have been different if a woman had made it?

Yes, it would have been a little bit more closed off, not telling all the secrets. But I think it's good a guy made it because guys need to know what African American women go through, to quote-unquote "be beautiful" to quote-unquote "snag a man."

Is there in pressure in Hollywood to wear weaves or to wear straight hair?

I think there is an unwritten rule. You don't want to be typecast you don't' want to be in a certain category, you just want to be well rounded as possible. That's the way it is. I guess when I have my weave in, I'm saying this is the commercial Raven-Symone and then when I'm at my house, I don't have anything in it, this is Raven. It's actually very short right now, I cut all the color off and I'm growing it out again. I have my own personal remedies to grow it. I call it healing hands to do that (laughs).

When did you get your first perm?

When I got my first perm it was April 11 and I was around 13 years old. My first like sew-in weave, I don't remember my age but I remember what kind. It was a curly and short and it had red streaks in it. I remember saying, oh my goodness, it's so much hair on my head. It was probably like 7 ounces. And I remember taking it out the same day. Now, I don't go out without 12 ounces. I'm totally addicted. But I have to say, I'm addicted for work. When it's time for me to work, I put my weave in and I like it to look cool but when I'm by myself at home, I wear my hair natural.

What's your relationship with your hair dresser?

Got him on speed dial. For this month, I think I went through four different weaves. So what's that – a weave a week? And I'm talking full weaves. That have to be taken down and put up again. That means he's coming to my house. We're spending at least five hours together. If I'm going to get a weave, I don't want it to look like a weave.

When you were doing all those awesome styles on 'That's So Raven' was that you or your hairstylist?

It was a collaboration. It's me waking up one morning and saying I'm so sick of this black. Or I want to look at ponytails today. It was bad. We had a box and a bag and just full of hair pieces. And the first two seasons we did a lot of ponytails because I didn't want to go full out and then it was the second or third season and J-Lo came out and I said "I'm doing the J-Lo style." So I dyed my hair blonde, I put the long hair in and I was tan! And then one day I took the weave out and I had no hair because all the bleach messed up my hair. So I dyed my hair back again and I went into a full weave mode – like give me 13oz, give me 20oz. And tracks on top of tracks -- all that luxurious hair. I wanted to make sure that I was always changing it up because I think it's fashion forward. I also lliked how Mo'Nique always had a different style on the Parkers.

What hair issues have you dealt with as an actress?

I had the blond bomb that fell out. I had so many malfunctions when I was on stage. I've had people who couldn't do my hair, but I have to be honest with you, if they can't do it, I'll go into the back and fix it myself. I did have one situation where I had my own hair out at TRL and I usually wear a Mohawk but the guy didn't do it right. I couldn't take it down, it was too late. Instead of sitting there and letting people talk about it, I brought attention to it. I'll address it myself.

Why is hair so deep for us?

Why are our eyebrows so deep for us? I think when it comes to it, we worry about our eyebrows and everything else. Well, I shave my legs. I shave my arms [yes, you read that correctly.] The kings and Queens of England used to have their own personal hair and wigs. It's an accessory. It's the first thing you look at.

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