"Baywatch" star Nicole Eggert has opened up about her body image issues while shooting the lifeguard series and how it ultimately shifted her perspective on plastic surgery.
In an interview with People Magazine, the 52-year-old, who recently revealed her diagnosis of stage two breast cancer, said that even though she thought "Baywatch" was her dream role, she felt like the series exploited her body and looks. She was only 18 when she booked the role of Summer Quinn.
Eggert left the show after two seasons but said, “All the girls worked out and were super tiny and fit, and I was like ‘Whoops.’ And the one-piece bathing suits were not flattering. I didn’t want to wear it at all.”
The pressure of conforming to a certain beauty standard that could fill out the iconic red one-piece bathing suit made Eggert self-conscious, she said. While she was on break from filming, she decided to have breast implacts at 18. “I regret it now, of course,” she said.
“I look at all these younger girls doing it and think, ‘God, leave your bodies alone!’ But when you have to put on that one-piece and it's like you're so flat that . . . you got pleats across the front. . .” she continued. “You're like, ‘What is this?’ Nothing you can do. You can't stuff it with anything. You can't do anything.”
As time passed, the former "Baywatch" actress said that she started to question the motivations behind her choice to get plastic surgery. But most importantly, she questioned the impact it had on her body image and health. Since then Eggert has appeared on the E! reality show "Botched" for a breast reduction.
Approximately 24% of the American population reportedly has had some form of cosmetic procedure, according to MedEsthetics Magazine. But younger people are more susceptible to being influenced to get surgery because of celebrities or social media, with 41% of people between 18 and 29 learning about plastic surgery through media.
While more Americans are open to plastic surgery, Eggert's experience shows the downside to cosmetic enhancements, and she isn't the only celebrity who has expressed regret over plastic surgery because of body image issues or just general health concerns.
Former Disney Channel star Ashley Tisdale said at first breast implants boosted her confidence, but soon after she began noticing what she said were minor health issues like food sensitivities and gut issues. She then promptly had them removed and said that two months after her explant surgery, "I think you can tell just how happy I am to finally be fully me," Business Insider reported.
Similarly, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick also shared sentiments echoing Tisdale's health concerns. In a post on Instagram, she said that she experienced hair loss, weight gain, leaky gut, fatigue, dizziness and a continuing laundry list of side effects.
Even Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, has spoken about her struggles with her own breast augmentation. In a letter to her younger self for Vogue UK, she wrote, "Don't mess with your boobs. All those years I denied it – stupid. A sign of insecurity. Just celebrate what you've got."
