Padma Lakshmi was involved in a serious car accident with her family when she was 14 years old, per an essay she penned for The Guardian in 2001. Fortunately everyone survived, but the memory of the accident would live on and be displayed on Lakshmi's upper arm in the form of a seven inch scar (pictured above). The accident occurred just two months after Lakshmi modeled to be part of a photographer's book, but any hopes of modeling were ruined in her eyes because she thought she would never be given a chance with such a mark on her body. "Now that I had a caterpillar of scarred skin crawling down my arm, it seemed ridiculous to imagine that any agency would be interested in such an imperfect specimen," she wrote.
However, time would prove that the scar is what would separate Lakshmi from her peers and make her stand out in the fashion industry. Despite at one point trying to cover up her scar, the model learned to love her mark as she advanced in the modeling world. "I love my scar. It is so much a part of me. I'm not sure I would remove it even if a doctor could wave a magic wand and delete it from my arm," she said. "The scar has singled me out and made me who I am."
