Has yo yo dieter Mischa Barton swung too far? Super skinny actress looks gaunt on night out

Mischa Barton has gained and lost weight several times since her successful run in The OC finished in 2006.

But she's been looking back to her slender best recently.

However the 25-year-old appeared gaunt last night as she showed off an even skinnier frame in Los Angeles during a night out with friends.

Drawn: Mischa Barton looked super-skinny last night as she enjoyed time with friends in LA

Wearing a pretty pink blouse, cream skirt and tan Oxford brogues, the blonde cut a willowy figure.

But it was in the 5ft9 star's face, where the weight loss was most evident.

Mischa's cheeks looked hollow, and the fuchsia stain slicked across her lips did to little to flatter her porcelain complexion.

Ethereal: Mischa looked lovely, but her drawn face suggests she's lost too much weight

But few could fail to understand the pressure on the young actress, who has failed to live up to her original promise after the teen drama, to diet and maintain a skinny frame.

She has, after all, copped a lot of flak over the years for having cellulite.

Several pictures show the starlet with dimpled thighs.

Smoker Mischa is not often seen without a packet of cigarettes which may provide a clue as to why the young actress should be blighted by the stubborn fat.

The nasty habit is one of the reasons that can be attributed to the premature emergence of her cellulite.

Mischa claimed on set of photos of her in a bikini in Australia that sparked the controversy had been retouched.

Her rep said: 'Those photos are doctored. I'm not saying she's perfect, nobody is. But they've given a 22-year-old woman the legs and bottom of an 80-year-old.

'Look at the shots that were taken shortly before on a beach in L.A. Did she develop all that cellulite in a couple of weeks? There's a lot you can do with Photoshopping.'

Mischa was sporting a much fuller figure during the opening of the Harrods sale in 2009 but sources claimed her face had swelled because she had had a wisdom tooth removed.

The look was a complete turnaround from her appearance earlier that year where she looked frail and gaunt after dropping from a healthy size 12 to a size 6-8.

Mischa, who has a few small-budget movies coming up, has led a colourful life since The OC ended.

In 2008, she was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and possession of Cannabis after she was pulled over police in West Hollywood.

She told Ryan Seacrest's radio show the day after: 'I was pulled over... just that.

Up and down: Mischa, here last year in LA, has struggled with her weight

'Obviously, I’m 100 percent responsible for my actions in this case and I’m really disappointed in myself.

'I don’t know what to say about it, except that I’m not perfect and I just don’t ever intend to do something this stupid again.'

Mischa was sentenced to three years of unsupervised probation and the marijuana charge was dropped.

She was also ordered to complete a three-month alcohol-education class and pay a fine of $2,000.

Scrutiny: Mischa has suffered analysis of her cellulite

Mischa had a short spell in a psychiatric hospital in 2009 after being sectioned under America's 5150 law.

It allows a psychiatrist to confine a person if they believe they are a danger to themselves and others.

Mischa explained: 'If they feel you are depressed or a danger to yourself they can hold you on a 5150.

'I am terrified of needles and they wanted to pump me full of drugs and I said, 'No, absolutely not. I don't want to be here,' and got into a fight with the nurses, and that led to my 5150.'