Ariel Winter is getting candid about her decision to have breast reduction surgery.
In an interview with Glamour.com, the "Modern Family" star reveals that she went under the knife in June to reduce the size of boobs from a 32F to a 34D.
"It's amazing to finally feel right," the 17-year-old actress tells the mag. "This is how I was supposed to be."
Winter's decision to have the surgery stemmed from years of physical and emotional pain. In fact, she admits that she never felt comfortable during red carpet appearances.
"The internet bullies are awful," the teen reveals. "I could post a photo where I feel good, and 500 people will comment about how fat I am, and that I am disgusting. On [red carpets], I just said to myself, 'You have to do your best to look confident and stand up tall, and make yourself look as good as you can in these photos,' because everyone is going to see them. I definitely seemed confident; I'm an actress, that's what we do. But on the inside, I wasn't feeling so happy."
"There was so little that I could wear that was age-appropriate," she adds. "I'd have to wear the dress that was super tight and form-fitted everywhere because if I didn't, it didn't look good. I didn't really have an option other than to wear fitted clothes. Everyone would [say], 'Why is she dressing so mature? That's so inappropriate for her age!' I understood what they were saying," the actress explains. "It's not like I wanted to pick out those inappropriate dresses, it's just that I didn't really have another choice, or I was going to get ridiculed."
While she learned to ignore the negative comments, Ariel couldn't escape from the physical pain.
"I had a lot of back problems. I really couldn't stand up straight for a long period of time. It started to hurt so bad that I couldn't take the pain," she explains. "My neck was hurting so bad and I actually had some problems with my spine. I had been discussing my chest with doctors for many years, but when I finally said, 'I'm thinking of doing this,' he said, 'Your back is going to thank you so much.'"
Winter says she decided to drop only two sizes to keep her body balanced. "I have always been a curvier girl. Always. And I enjoy being a curvier girl. I don't want to be disproportionate again," she declares. "I have a big butt, I like having a big butt. I didn't want to have a big butt and no boobs!"
While the physical transformation may be subtle, the brunette beauty says she's already being treated differently.
"People start looking me in the eye. Guys I'm friends with can start looking me in the eye," she reveals. "Other people I know can finally not turn around and whisper behind my back about, 'Are those real? Are those fake?' I've heard that for so many years. Even at 14, people would ask me, 'Do you have fake boobs?' But we live in a society that that's what they think about."
In the end, Winter has no regrets about her surgery. "I feel great. It was such a quick recovery for me. I was up and running within five days. The feeling of not having so much there was such a relief! Once the surgery was completed, I can't even explain the feeling. [A week later], I was buying clothes and crying as I put them on, I was so happy. You just feel so relieved and excited," she says. "You feel like a new person."
To read Ariel's full (and very honest) interview, head over to Glamour.com.
