Melissa Gilbert explains decision to remove breast implants
‘Little House on the Prairie’ star on removing implants
Melissa Gilbert is done with going under the knife.
The “Little House on the Prairie” star told First For Women Thursday she has long been plagued with the idea of growing older in the spotlight and is now looking forward to aging naturally.
“There’s this mentality in Hollywood of not allowing women to age or gain weight or to simply be themselves,” explained the 53-year-old. “I went down the road that everyone else does – nose job, boob job, fillers and Botox, but no more!
"I had my breast implants removed and I’m no longer doing fillers or Botox because I’m a 53-year-old woman and I’m trying to embrace this process of aging.”
Gilbert, who found fame as Laura Ingalls in the Western drama, insisted she has a new appreciation for her body – one she is determined to keep up.
“Little House on the Prairie” aired from 1974 until 1983.
“I’m grateful to my body for holding up through some major health issues and serious injuries,” she said. “Right now I’m physically pain-free and relatively healthy and strong.
"I have the joy of being able to work on these incredible projects and live a life of fun and freedom with a man I adore and who cherishes and adores me back. By and large, the body image thing doesn’t come into play anymore.”
Gilbert hasn’t been the only former child star to come forward about embracing her figure as a beloved television actress.
Back in November 2016 Mary McDonough, who starred as wholesome Erin Walton on “The Waltons” from 1971 until 1981, told Fox News she went under the knife at age 24 – a decision she would later regret.
“I had breast implants trying to fit in and be part of the ‘Dallas’ era,” said McDonough. “I made that choice because I was told they were safe and would last a lifetime. They weren’t and I got very, very sick… My implants ruptured and disintegrated in my chest. I was sick for 10 years and no one knew what was wrong with me.”
By 1994, McDonough decided to remove the implants that she felt were contributing to her physical decline.
“I got so sick over the course of time, not knowing what was wrong with me,” recalled McDonough. “It was a very difficult decision for me to have [breast implants] in the first place because I felt like I needed to do it for my career.
"And so, I didn’t want to have them removed… [But] once I had my implants removed, I started to get better… I’m way healthier than I was in my 30s… The further I get from those implants, the better I get.”
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