Dr. Oz: Melissa Gilbert
Melissa Gilbert was one of the stars of Little House on the Prairie. She was one of the most successful child actresses of all time and one of the youngest stars to ever receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Behind the scenes, she battled drug and alcohol addiction, divorce, and self-doubt. Trying to stay current in Hollywood, she got Botox and breast implants, decisions she regretted ever since and spoke about with Dr. Oz.
Dr. Oz: Melissa Gilbert Removing Breast Implants
Melissa Gilbert, star of ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ came by Dr. Oz to talk about her decision to remove her breast implants to live a healthier life. (Lorelyn Medina / Shutterstock.com)
Just three weeks ago, she had major surgery to remove breast implants. Melissa said she was doing fine, but she was still a little tender. Melissa said the surgery requires general anesthesia and in her case, it took around five hours. Before the surgery, she had a breast MRI to see if there would be any leakage. While leakage was unlikely in her case, it was a possibility.
Because there was no leaking, the implants came right out. If it had leaked, they would have had to take out the scar tissue around it. However, now that the implants are removed, there’s still tissue to deal with. Melissa had a lift done to fix them. Melissa said she was happy with it.
“They’re still here. They’re fine. They’re healing,” she said.
Dr. Oz: Why Get Rid of Breast Implants?
She got the breast implants done when she was 28. She said that was very young to make the decision. She’s 50 years old now and she’s at a place where she’s happy with her life. She feels very happy and doesn’t feel the pressure to look a certain way. She wants to age gracefully and naturally.
“I feel great and I really want to be happy. I just become a grandmother,” she said.
Now, she wants to see her grandchildren graduate high school. She wants to be able to play with them and do things. She felt the implants were foreign to her body and that they weren’t healthy for her. She said they also don’t tell you when you get implants that you’re making a lifelong decision. Every 10 to 15 years, you have to change them and get new ones because they don’t last forever.
“You have do it again and again and again. And I just couldn’t picture myself at 80 years old getting new boobs. It’s silly,” she said.
Dr. Oz: Melissa Gilbert Fitting In
Melissa Gilbert said that she never felt like she fit in when she was around other actresses. At the end of her time on Little House on the Prairie, she was 16 or 17 years old. They made a decision to have her wear a padded bra. In her head, she felt like her breasts weren’t enough.
She said growing up in the public eye was a lot of pressure and made her feel even more unsure of her body. Her co-star on the show, Alison Arngrim, grew up alongside her. Melissa Gilbert said she felt flat-chested, especially next to Alison Arngrim, who developed much larger breasts.
She also said the family she grew up in was very curvy. Her grandmother was Miss Brooklyn. Melissa said she felt like an “athletic tomboy.” She didn’t feel comfortable in her skin.
Dr. Oz: Melissa Gilbert Gaining Confidence Through Plastic Surgery
She said after the implants, she felt much more confident and sure of herself. But in hindsight, she feels ashamed of feeling that way just because of a change in her appearance.
She also got Botox and fillers to look younger and better. She said looking back, none of it was the right decision for her. She said as an actress, it’s important to use her facial expressions. The more Botox and fillers you use, the less control of your face you have.
Dr. Oz: Melissa Gilbert Loving Yourself
Now, Melissa Gilbert says she feels confident about herself most of the time. It’s not constant and she knows it never will be. But she’s happy and healthy and that’s what’s important.
Dr. Oz said we’re actually the most happy in our lives at age 50. Melissa Gilbert said the key to life is to find a way to love yourself exactly as you are. It took Melissa Gilbert 30 years of therapy to deal with her self-doubt and insecurity. But for her, the key is finding a way to love yourself and to know that aging is a gift.
Melissa said a big part of her current happiness is living in a small town in Michigan, as opposed to living in L.A. She doesn’t have to worry about going to a restaurant without makeup on.
Melissa Gilbert’s book My Prairie Cookbook is out now and she’ll be appearing in the new show Secrets and Lies, premiering in March 2015 on ABC.
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