Keira Knightley struggles with body hangups

Supplied by Paramount pix of Keira Knightley in the film Atonement for timeout Keira Knightley (Cecilia) on the set of Atonement. NZH 5oct07 - TIM 7feb08 - CHR 30Dec10 - Gone with t

Keira Knightley feels self-conscious about her "bad skin".

The 26-year-old face of Chanel admits she has a whole host of hangups when it comes to her much-photographed face.

"I've never seen myself as being attractive in that glamorous way," she said.

"I'm incredibly self-conscious about the fact that I get bad skin. Actually, I'm incredibly self-conscious about a lot of parts of it but, equally, I'm aware that it works in certain environments and for certain things.

"If you're using your face, if you're selling it, then you've become so aware of the flaws because people tell you. And they do so brusquely. So then you start seeing it.

"I'm not saying that I look in the mirror all the time and go: 'Oh my God, that's hideous!' I can look at myself and think: 'Oh, good. You look good today,' or 'Holy f**k. You look like s**t today'."

Keira portrays the highly sexual patient-turned-analyst Sabina Spielrein in new movie A Dangerous Method, although she insists she is actually incredibly shy when it comes to stripping off.

In an interview with Australia's Vogue magazine, she explained: "Firstly, it's the superficial thing of seeing your flaws on the screen. That's probably going to be all that you see and you focus on the bits you don't particularly like.

"But at a certain point, I've had to get over my own body anxiety issues so it doesn't get in the way of telling the story. It's something I've had to face.

"Do I sometimes feel incredibly shy about going out even in a bathing costume into a swimming pool? Yeah, actually, I do.

"I was on the beach the other day. I was in France on holiday with some friends and we were all lying out. They were all totally fine taking everything off and I was sitting around in my jeans and a top. I kind of didn't want to take anything off."

- BANG! Showbiz