The 58-year-old actor cemented her status as a sex symbol by playing CJ Parker in the '90s TV series Baywatch, but didn't actually enjoy the attention that came her way at the time.
"I don't like being a sex symbol," she explained during an appearance on the How To Fail With Elizabeth Day podcast.
"I mean, I think it's not very sexy. I think we all aspire to be sexy in our relationships, but sexy for the world is, I don't know.
"It brought a lot of attention I didn't like, but I hate to say that because I'm not complaining, but I do feel that is a slippery slope where you are presenting yourself to the world like this and you get this attention back."
Anderson has adopted a makeup-free look on red carpets in recent years, and the actress is now embracing being "more natural".
"It can be even scary at times, me not wearing makeup and me being at this age, coming into this part of my career, I felt it was important for me in my personal life, to be more natural," she said.
"I want to challenge myself and become and to be present myself in different ways because women are many things. We're not just the wild animal between the sheets."
Anderson previously admitted to being shocked by the public's reaction to her makeup-free appearance.
The Hollywood star actually assumed no one would notice if she decided to stop wearing makeup.
She told The Sunday Times newspaper: "There's these beautiful clothes. I'm wearing Vivienne Westwood. I have this great hat and beautiful coat. Nobody's going to notice if I don't wear any make-up."
"I didn't realise it was going to start all of this, all these people really relating to me."
Anderson feels the public's perception of her has changed over recent times, saying the shift also benefits her two sons.
Pamela - who has Brandon, 29, and Dylan, 27, with her ex-husband Tommy Lee - shared: "(My sons) probably don't feel they have to defend their mom any more."
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