Sarah Hyland always tells it like it is. In countless Instagram posts, tweets, and interviews, the Modern Family actress has been incredibly candid about her depression, her struggles with body image, and the 16+ surgeries she’s had throughout her life to combat her endometriosis and kidney dysplasia, which most notably involved a second kidney transplant in 2017. And because these surgeries have left multiple scars across her abdomen, she’s been open about her own personal journey to accepting them, too.
Now, thanks to a new partnership with Olay, Hyland is spreading her message of self love and self care to an even wider audience. This month, Hyland is one of six women appearing in Olay’s new photography book, speaking about how she honors and cares for her body. In preparation, Hyland also took part in the Olay Two-Week Moisture Ribbons Body Wash Challenge, using only the brand’s Moisture Ribbons Body Wash for several weeks.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Hyland on set to talk about her own self-care routine, why she’s decided to be so open about her health struggles, and how she deals with internet trolls, ahead.
How have your surgeries changed how you feel about beauty?
"For me, being accepting of my scars is something that I’ve had to deal with since I could even remember. It’s still a struggle to this day, but you really just have to be able to own yourself. There is a beautiful, silent power when you present to the world that you love yourself as you are. Being vulnerable is sometimes the most powerful thing you can be, so having scars and going through a lot of medical issues has only made me stronger."
What does self care look like for you?
"When you’re going through something so physical and on the brink of surgeries or death, that is obviously going to affect your mental health. You have to take care of your body any way you can. My self care can be as simple as taking a bath. You really have to take advantage of that to regain this feeling of control over yourself and your body. I’ve almost fallen in love with my body again and felt more comfortable in my own skin because of this [challenge]. My skin has been glowing and, if you have that, it can be a little bit of a pick-me-up."
There is a beautiful, silent power when you present to the world that you love yourself as you are.
What other ways do you practice self care?
"I’m also a big fan of sheet masks and eye patches that you keep in the fridge. I normally have super early call times, like 6 a.m., so I wake up at 5 and take the sheet mask from the fridge. It wakes you up immediately, and then you put your glasses and baseball cap on, jump in the car, and do a face roller the entire time on your way to work. I normally use Joanna Vargas’ face masks and Nurse Jamie’s Beauty Roller. Peter Thomas Roth also has really great eye patches as well."
Why was it important for you to be so public about your health struggles?
"When I was younger, I really did not want to be public about it. Not that I was ashamed or embarrassed — I just didn’t want to be a poster child. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve felt that it’s so important to be able to talk about it. I realized that for women especially, it takes a huge toll on your mental health because of what happens to you physically. In telling my story, so many people have reached out to tell me theirs… it also helps me."
How do you deal with the negative comments on Instagram?
"In order to be OK on a daily basis, especially when you do get a lot of hate and judgement and critics out there that hide behind keyboards, you have to have a really strong back and rely on other people having your back. I have the most amazing fans in the entire world that go apeshit on the trolls. I found that it’s been super transformative on my mental state and confidence to have people like that in my life."
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Source: Refinery29 – Rachel Lubitz