Zendaya used to be insecure about her curly hair

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Zendaya's confidence has come a long way since she was younger.

The 19-year-old actress opened up about her insecurities in an interview with People published Wednesday. Zendaya today is known for her ever-changing look, but said it took years to embrace herself and her natural hair.

"Growing up, I wasn't very confident in my curls," she confessed. "It wasn't like the hair that girls around me had. And nobody really knew what to do with my hair. My mom is white and my dad is black -- they have two very different hair types. So we learned how to manage my hair together."

"There is nobody out there that is completely, 100 percent satisfied with every portion of themselves," she added. "When I was younger, I was afraid to experiment with my look because I was worried about what people thought. But as I've gotten older and become more confident in myself, I just don't care."

Zendaya, who often changes her hairstyle with wigs, made headlines last year after wearing fake dreadlocks to the Academy Awards. Fashion Police host Giuliana Rancic came under heavy fire for saying the actress looked like she smelled of "patchouli oil and weed," which Zendaya later addressed on Instagram.

"It was a learning experience for myself and for everyone who read it," she recently told Complex of her post. "A lot of people don't realize that hair is a big thing for a lot of people, not just African-American women. It's something to be aware of and to be cautious of. So it was something that I really felt like I should speak on."

Zendaya, who slammed Modeliste magazine in October for Photoshopping her hips and thighs, previously discussed self-confidence with Nylon. The actress advised fans that it "doesn't just happen" and to not "feel discouraged if you're not waking up and feeling amazing about yourself."

"It's a developing process," she said. "Everyone goes at their own speed. For me, it's just something you have to continue to work on. It's a growth and a process. As long as you take every opportunity to learn more about yourself and fall more in love with yourself every day, you're doing good."

Zendaya is known for playing Rocky Blue on Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up, and presently portrays K.C. Cooper on K.C. Undercover. She competed on Season 16 of Dancing with the Stars in 2013, and guest starred on Black-ish in October.