Hayden Panettiere has been in the spotlight for a long time; as a child actress who’s grown up onscreen, she’s been more susceptible to scrutiny than many older celebrities, simply because she went through awkward body phases like we all do in our younger years. So when a tabloid headline screamed “Cellulite!” above a picture of her, the then-16-year old began going through some rough body image issues.

The “Nashville” star, now 23, says that stressing over her appearance gave her body dysmorphia, a condition which can make the sufferer falsely believe they are ugly or fat–the person will sometimes focus on one specific part of their body–and can often lead to anorexia or bulimia.

Luckily, Hayden was able to move past the media scrutiny and focus on what made her feel good.

“I was mortified,” she said of the magazine. “It gave me such body dysmorphia for so long. But I remember reminding myself that beauty is an opinion, not a fact. And it has always made me feel better.”

Panettiere is in the newest issue of Women’s Health Magazine and is gearing up for the first season of her highly-anticipated show, “Nashville”, which also stars “American Horror Story” actress Connie Briton. She says that the older she gets, the more she realizes what is important about the way she views herself, and the way others view her.

“As I’ve gotten older and grown into my body, I’ve started realizing that the way you carry yourself and that light coming out of your eyes are the most attractive things about you.”