When Hayden Panettiere, star of ABC's "Nashville," was 16 years old she picked up a tabloid. She opened it up and saw a photo of her backside in jean shorts -- the caption read, "cellulite."

Her teenage-self had a hard time handling the criticism. 

"It gave me such body dysmorphia for so long," she told Women's Health magazine. "But I remember reminding myself that beauty is an opinion, not a fact. And it has always made me feel better." 

Unlike many Hollywood starlets,  Panettiere didn't allow the rude comments to cause her to go into a downward spiral. 

The 23-year-old actress eats healthy but doesn't "go crazy over it." "I mean you gotta eat," she said. 

Later on in the interview she confessed that "Eating healthy is a constant battle. I love chips."

She added, "I find when I'm overly concerned about what I eat, I stress out my body and put on weight."

Panettiere enjoys Bikram yoga (which includes 26 poses and in 105°F ) because it detoxes her body and mind. 

"It can be tough, but you're sweating out toxins and water weight," she explained. 

She also exercises with weights that allow her to do a high number of reps, that way, she prevents putting on too much muscle on her petite frame. 

But Panettiere is most committed to building her confidence and working on her inner-beauty.

"People can tell when you're happy with being you and when you're not. It's only cheesy because it's true," she said. "As I've gotten older and grown into my body, I've started realizing that the way you carry yourself and that light coming out of your eyes are the most attractive things about you."

Tags: Hayden Panettiere