Demi Lovato: 'My scars are beautiful battle wounds'

Demi Lovato has said that she considers her scars from years of self-harming to be "beautiful in a way".

The former Sonny With a Chance star, who was admitted to rehab in November 2010 with an eating disorder, described the scars as "battle wounds" that remind her of the issues she has overcome.

"I think scars are like battle wounds - beautiful, in a way," she told Glamour. "They show what you've been through and how strong you are for coming out of it.

"My tattoos say 'Stay strong', 'Stay' on one [wrist] and 'strong' on the other. Now I'm able to look at them and be thankful for being alive."

Lovato added that she felt "blessed" to have regained her health and was now looking for a boyfriend who could make her life complete.

"[I want] someone who's not only supportive in my career but also in my recovery," she said. "It's a big responsibility dating me. Because I come with a little bit of baggage, you know?

"I'm completely open. I'm honest about the journey I've been on, so I definitely don't take dating lightly anymore. And they have to make me laugh!"

Lovato recently said that she was "thankful" for the progress she has made in her personal life over the last year.