Aging is tough, but aging in Hollywood is brutal. Just ask Courteney Cox.

The actress kept things super candid during an interview with NewBeauty magazine, and opened up about the slippery slope of trying to keep up a youthful look. She said:

“I think getting older is just hard in general. I feel like I’m 34, so the thought that I’m not just doesn’t seem natural. I don’t get it. I feel better than I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I take much better care of myself now. But Hollywood — this business — makes it harder.”

The actress shared that the measures she took to look younger ended up backfiring big time. She explained:

“Well, what would end up happening is that you go to a doctor who would say, ‘You look great, but what would help is a little injection here or filler there.’ The next thing you know, you’re layered and layered and layered. You have no idea because it’s gradual until you go, ‘Oh s—, this doesn’t look right.’ And it’s worse in pictures than in real life.”

The star said the fillers have all since dissolved, leaving her feeling and looking more like the real Courteney. She said:

“I’m as natural as I can be. I feel better because I look like myself. I think that I now look more like the person that I was. I hope I do. Things are going to change. Everything’s going to drop. I was trying to make it not drop, but that made me look fake. You need movement in your face, especially if you have thin skin like I do. Those aren’t wrinkles — they’re smile lines. I’ve had to learn to embrace movement and realize that fillers are not my friend.”

The 53-year-old says that age is not an issue with her 40-year-old boyfriend, Johnny McDaid. She shared:

“He’s younger than me, and with any other guy that would be the hardest thing in the world, but looks are not that important to him or his family. External beauty isn’t even on his radar. I used to worry about the age difference, but I don’t think it matters. He appreciates beauty, but it’s deeper than that.”