The supermodel and a celebrity chef Padma Lakshmi told the story of how she got that 7 inches long scar on the arm. She made the world know how the scar appeared on her otherwise flawless body. She revealed that she had met with a car accident when she was just 14 years old. The accident was very bad and she had to struggle very hard to come out of the car. However, in an effort to get out of the car, she got some injuries over the body and one of those injuries resulted in this scar on her forearm. The scar, that is 7 inches in length, keeps reminding her about the dreadful accident and her struggle against it. Initially, she was quite conscious of that scar. She used to stand in front of the mirror and try different poses to hide the scar. The confident model initially tried to hide the scar. But, today, she has accepted that the scar is a part of her and it is a symbol of her struggle and survival. She is confident enough not to hide the scar from anyone. The Padma Lakshmi scar story has become a benchmark of courage for everyone in the modeling industry where the smallest of flaws can end careers.

However, there are many others who may have had an accident, perhaps worse than the one Padma Lakshmi had, who do not want accident scars on their body. They would like to seek treatment for those scars especially when they are over more visible areas like the face. Some forms of therapies for accident scars are given below –

• Chemical peels: These are chemical substances that destroy the epidermal matter in a controlled fashion. This causes exfoliation of the scar area and reduces the visibility of it. The choice of chemicals depends upon the depth of the scar and the patient’s sensitivity to these chemicals.
• Filler injections: Injections of collagen are used in atrophic scars to raise them till the level of the normal skin. However, there is a risk of allergic reaction and further disfigurement in this.
• Dermabrasion: It involves abrasion or removal of the superficial surface of the skin with the help of local anesthesia.
• Laser treatment: Abrasive lasers can be very effective in atrophic scars after accidents, just like dermabrasion. Non-ablative laser treatment may be used for hypertrophic scars as well as for keloid formation after accidents. It helps to make the skin smooth by heating and distributing collagen, at the same time avoiding damage to epidermal area. This requires several sessions for better results.
• Radiotherapy: Superficial radiotherapy in low doses helps in cases of hypertrophic scars and keloids and also prevents repeated attacks of them. Several ugly scars after accidents can be successfully removed by radiation.
• Steroids: Severe cases of accident scars require local steroidal injections under the supervision of expert health practitioner. They are specifically useful in hypertrophic scars.

The steroidal injection is administered directly into the scar to avoid the systemic side effects of steroids. The procedure should be repeated at an interval of 4-5 weeks for better results.

• Surgical intervention: Some scars need to be surgically removed by performing excision. A combination of treatment with surgery and laser treatment can give very effective and permanent results.

The story of Padma Lakshmi’s scar has taught everyone to fight any circumstances. It is a lesson to those unfortunate individuals who had to face bad accidents, and are living with scars on their body. She has proved that there’s no need to be ashamed of the scars of experience. However, people can have relief, as various modes of treatment are available to them to get rid of the scars, in case they wish to.