Padma Lakshmi’s scar on her upper arm was gotten from a car accident she was involved in as a teenager. This left her with a long scar on the outer part of her right arm.
Padma Lakshmi is one of those celebrities who have proudly embraced their ‘imperfections and turned what would have doused their spirits to their advantage. Since 2006, the Indian American author, activist, model, and television host has anchored Top Chef. However, despite her visibility in the media, there are still some interesting facts you probably haven’t learned about her, especially the obvious seven-inch-long scar on her arm.
The Truth About Padma Lakshmi Scar on Her Right Arm
Due to how she has embraced it and not try to make serious efforts to conceal the scar on her arm, many people have wondered where it came from in the first place. According to the Top Chef host, who has been nothing but generous with information about her scar, she got it from an injury she sustained in a car accident in 1984.
Padma was 14 years old at the time of the accident. The TV personality was in a car with her parents when the vehicle went off the freeway, dropping about 40 feet before it crashed into a tree. Before the crash, she was eating rice in the car when a sudden bang snapped the plate of rice off her hand. Luckily, it was not fatal, but the crash caused them severe injuries. Coupled with the fact that they waited for about 40 minutes before help came.
They were airlifted and taken to a hospital where Padma got treatment for serious injuries. She suffered a broken hip and shattered arm, the latter of which resulted in a scar on her upper arm. She got the scar through the many surgical procedures doctors resorted to restoring proper use of her hand.
Padma Lakshmi Was Bullied Because of Her Scar
As a young girl, there were many issues Padma had to deal with, including horrible comments about her scar and imperfections. “When I was young, I tended to be more self-conscious about my stretch marks from growing, or the scar on my arm from my car accident,” the Top Chef said in an interview.
After waking up in a California hospital where she was rushed for treatment, Padma noticed the scar on her arm, but at the time, it was thin. However, three years later, the scar grew bigger and formed a keloid.
In addition to her scar, she was called names like E.T and giraffe due to her tall frame. She was very tall at the age of 13, and this was often used to mock her. She also got bullied for being an Indian girl in Los Angeles, but all these only made her stronger in the long run.
Padma Lakshmi Has Embraced Her Scar
From what we can deduce from how she feels about the long scar on her arm, if Padma is offered an opportunity to get rid of the scar forever, she might not take it. While it was difficult to live with her scar at first, the Indian-American beauty has come to terms with it. As she grew older, she got used to her body and gained more self-confidence. The Top Chef host told SELF in 2016 –
“My attitude about my body has grown and changed and morphed and evolved, as has my body,” she said.
Currently, whether she’s on the red carpet, picking up the microphone for her hosting job on Bravo’s Top Chef or Hulu’s Taste the Nation, Padma Lakshmi does not bother about having a big scar on her arm. She does not attempt to conceal her visible scar.
Aside from her scar, Padma has also shared her struggle with endometriosis, a condition that causes the uterus lining to grow outside the uterus. The condition is a painful one, and the TV host was diagnosed in her mid-thirties.
