Melissa Gilbert On Body Issues And Aging Gracefully In Hollywood

Actress Melissa Gilbert rose to fame playing the beloved role of as Laura Ingalls Wilder on the hit show Little House On The Prairie. But growing up famous isn’t always easy. There is increased pressure to always look your best and fit into the Hollywood ideal of beauty. Melissa struggled with her body image for years until it all came to head after her appearance on the popular dance competition, Dancing With The Stars.

Today, Melissa is discussing how she learned to love herself with talk show host Megyn Kelly and it’s absolutely eye-opening. When she was just a teen, Melissa had her first experience with Hollywood and the pressures they put on women. She was starring in one of her first more mature roles and she had to wear a corset, push-up bra and her face was shaded to give it a more glamorous look.

After that situation, Melissa started to look at herself differently. Soon after, she had a nose job followed by breast implants. She continued to receive cosmetic procedures for years. But after her appearance on Dancing With The Stars, Melissa started to realize just how much pressure was put on women in the industry.

She turned to her husband and said that she was sick of dying her hair all the time and he said, ‘Well let it grow. If it’s yours, it’s gorgeous.’ So that’s exactly what she did and gradually, Melissa started to turn away from all cosmetic enhancements and has vowed to age gracefully. In Hollywood, this can be a very controversial decision, but Melissa is standing by her beliefs and it’s absolutely amazing to hear.