Jul 4, 2009, 5:00 GMT
Kelly Rowland had an "identity crisis" because she was the only black girl in her school.
The 28-year-old star said: "Growing up, I had an identity crisis. I went to a school that was predominantly white and I was the only black girl there. I remember thinking I don't want to be as dark as I am, I want to be a little fairer. I didn't want to be me, and that was a problem. EPA/STEVE WOODS
The 'When Love Takes Over' singer struggled to fit in when she was growing up and was unhappy with how she looked until she entered her twenties.
The 28-year-old star said: "Growing up, I had an identity crisis. I went to a school that was predominantly white and I was the only black girl there. I remember thinking I don't want to be as dark as I am, I want to be a little fairer. I didn't want to be me, and that was a problem.
"When I got older, I embraced who I am as a woman."
Kelly reveals Tina Knowles, the mother of her Destiny's Child bandmate Beyonce Knowles, helped her learn how to love her appearance.
She added to Britain's Heat Radio: "The one person that helped me get out of my identity crisis was Tina Knowles. I remember that she sat me in the mirror and she was like, 'Girl, look at how pretty you are!' She would really make me feel comfortable in my skin.
"She was so great at putting together my hair, my style, because I didn't know what to do with myself. She had this fly hair salon, and she had the coolest people in her salon and I remember just thinking, 'Oh my god, I love this woman! I love her style, as a woman she's so cool!' "
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