Being a child star doesn't exempt you from the awkward teenage phase -- in fact, it can make those years a lot harder.

Demi Lovato recently opened up about growing up in the public eye while appearing at the Cannes Lions advertising conference, as Variety reports. While promoting her upcoming YouTube docuseries, "Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated," she described how "challenging" it was to get her start as early as she did.

"I wouldn't start out that young if I could do it over again," she said.

Lovato's acting career kicked off when she joined "Barney & Friends" at only 7 years old. That led to her starring in the Disney Channel original movie "Sonny With a Chance," and her first solo album. Yet, success wasn't without its drawbacks.

Specifically, Lovato found it "difficult to transition from a child star ... into a mainstream artist" when the time came. She described how people in that situation are "molded into something" and then have to "figure out who [they] are very fast in front of the entire world." That was certainly the case for her; she has been up front over the years about her personal struggles with body image and mental health.

Still, even with all the challenges of fame, Lovato seems to be okay with how her early success worked out for her.

"I don't regret anything," she said.

[via: Variety]