Ariel Winter: 'I am not ashamed of my surgery scars'

Actress Ariel Winter has thanked fans for their support after she showed off her breast reduction scars on the red carpet, declaring she is "not ashamed" of her imperfections.

The Modern Family star underwent the corrective surgery in 2015 after spending years struggling with chronic pain, and recently admitted the operation to reduce her chest size has given her a big confidence boost.

She embraced her new figure by sporting a fitted, strapless gown at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday (30Jan16), but her outfit attracted attention as the surgery scars on her breasts were visible.

However, Ariel, 17, is adamant she chose not to cover the marks up because she has learned to embrace her flaws.

"Guys there is a reason I didn't make an effort to cover up my scars! They are part of me and I'm not ashamed of them at all... Thank you all so much for the support, kind words..." she tweeted.

Ariel recently admitted her figure caused her a lot of problems before the operation, and she struggled to choose outfits because of her size.

"Being a 5-foot-tall girl and having extremely large breasts is really ostracising and excruciatingly painful," she told People magazine. "But I didn't really express how I felt about that.... I'd just be wearing something anyone else could wear, but I'd read comments saying, 'She dresses inappropriately'... I think it will be the only (cosmetic surgery) I'll have done, but I'm extremely happy with the decision I made. It's important to talk about it because there are young girls suffering like I did. But there shouldn't be a stigma about it...

"It was an instant weight lifted off my chest - both literally and figuratively... There's a confidence you find when you finally feel right in your body."