EXCLUSIVE: Ariel Winter Explains Why She's 'Not Ashamed' of Her Breast Reduction Surgery Scars
Ariel Winter says she's "not ashamed" of her surgical scars and is "confused" as to why it's such a hot topic for some people.
In January, Winter stunned at the SAG Awards in a black Romona Keveza gown, but faced criticism for not covering up the scars she received after undergoing breast reduction surgery last year.
"I knew I had scars but they didn't even cross my mind that I should cover them," Winter told ET's Deidre Behar, who spoke with the actress last week at Vanity Fair and Loreal's "DJ Night" Pre-Oscars bash in West Hollywood.
The 18-year-old Modern Family star admitted the backlash against not covering her scars "really bothered me."
"I thought it was so unnecessary because it doesn't make sense to me," Winter explained. "If I didn't think about them myself, clearly I'm not ashamed of them. I don't know why anybody would be. They're not going away."
"I was confused as to why that was a topic people were talking about," she continued. "We shouldn't be ashamed of them. [It] doesn't make us less beautiful."
WATCH: Ariel Winter Defends Not Hiding Her Breast Reduction Surgery Scars at the SAG Awards
For Winter, being open and candid about her experiences is important -- not just for her, but for others who are dealing with issues like hers.
"I think it would be totally unfair of me if I didn't share those experiences because there are so many other people in the world that are going through similar things," Winter explained. "I think it's important to talk about it."
Last month, Winter penned a heartfelt and revealing essay for Motto about her decision to have breast reduction surgery, sharing, "Women are already over-sexualized, and I grew into my body so young. I was 13, 14 years old, and I looked 19. Suddenly, people didn’t want to talk about my job—they just wanted to talk about my cleavage."
WATCH: Ariel Winter Opens Up About Breast Reduction Surgery: 'I Just Feel So Amazing'
"The conversation became about my looks instead of my talent and work—everything that I didn't want," Winter continued. "I even started getting messages from older male fans, and let’s just say they were gross."
Check out the video below to hear more from Winter's emotional editorial.
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