Padma Lakshmi's Scar

Padma Lakshmi , the beautiful author of cookbooks, actress and model is famous for being the hostess of the reality TV program Top Chef. A question asked many times is how does Padma Lakshmi get the scar between her shoulder and elbow?

The ex wife of Salman Rushdie was involved in a car accident in 1984, she was 14 years old at that time. The accident caused an injury to her right arm and surgery was required. This procedure left a the 7-inch scar.

The accident occurred when Padma and her parents were on their way home from a visit to a Hindu temple in Malibu. The collision resulted in a launch of the car they were in. In an interview with Vogue Magazine Lakshmi said: "Flying in a car felt like an exhilarating hallucination, an unbelievable ride that oddly remains one of the most beautiful images in my memory."

On the David Letterman Show she said: "Women are beautiful in all shapes and colors and sizes. It's one of the reasons that I show my scar. To me it's a mark of survival. I like my scar and think it's interesting and I wouldn't take it off even if I could."

To me this shows one of the crucial aspects of dealing with scars. You can improve them (something Padma obviously didn't feel the urge to) but you can't get rid of them completely.

Because they will always be a part of you coping with your scar is an important element in the total process of dealing with your scar. Opinions like Padma Lakshmi's can be of support to those of us who have difficulty with the fact they are scarred. I have been there and know how difficult this can be. But eventually time will heal not only your scar but your damaged self image as well.

Advice on how to prevent a scar from becoming widened and big can be found here.