How did I get this burn?
By Amber
@AmbiePam (113962)
United States
January 8, 2026 9:37am CST
So no one can explain to me how I got this 2nd degree burn when I was eighteen, and in the car wreck that damaged my neck and back. This picture doesn’t show all eight inches of it, but it’s long because the original burn was an awkwardly circular burn. When they did cosmetic surgery they cut out the burn, pulled the skin on both sides, and then sewed me up. What really hurt was months later them jamming a big old needle in my scar tissue to try to shrink the scar. THAT made me cry; not the original burn. Anyway, it’s not bright red anymore or hard, so it’s healed well (originally it wasn’t treated correctly, much to my annoyance -I guess bubbling skin didn’t alert the nurse enough to show the doctor).
Anyway, how did it happen? My car flipped and landed upside down, but it was never on fire. Plus, I had a shirt covering my arm. There was no blood or tear in my shirt. The seat belt didn’t go over that shoulder so it couldn’t have been a contact caused a burn by harshly rubbing against anything. Nothing was abrading my arm when I stopped rolling. Nothing was touching it.
Anyone have any idea what could have caused such a burn?
12 people like this
15 responses
@snowy22315 (203760)
• United States
8 Jan
Probably just friction from all the activity going on. It is a good thing you were not killed!
3 people like this
@AmbiePam (113962)
• United States
8 Jan
Friction, that was the word I was thinking of! That was the first thing, we thought of,but there was no friction with any items. Even my shirt didn’t come into contact with anything. Still friction is the best option anyone has come up with. Thanks, snowy! 
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (130495)
• Marion, Ohio
8 Jan
You can get a friction burn without your clothing being affected. So that would be my best guess
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (130495)
• Marion, Ohio
9 Jan
@AmbiePam It could have been the seat, steering wheel dash, about anything. You would not necessarily have even realized it.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (169300)
• United States
8 Jan
I would have guessed it was a friction burn but I can't say for sure.
Even with the shirt covering your arm, you still could have rubbed it hard against something. When you're in a wreck, your body flips and flops all over the place.
I had a car wreck in my mid-twenties and banged the left side of my head against the driver's side window, shattering the window. I would have expected the right side of my head to contact that window since I was the driver but the left side of my head swelled up with a big knot on it. I have no clue how that could even happen.
2 people like this
@MommyOfEli2013 (87056)
• Rupert, Idaho
8 Jan
That sounds scary, and painful.... but as to how you could have got the burn...I have no idea. That's very interesting, for sure...
2 people like this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
11 Jan
Oh my gosh - I knew about the accident but didn't know that is what happened . . . thank goodness you made it through that 
. If not friction (looking at the other responses), then I have no clue. Is it possible some hot liquid coming from the engine went through a break in the window and got on your arm as it rolled???
. If not friction (looking at the other responses), then I have no clue. Is it possible some hot liquid coming from the engine went through a break in the window and got on your arm as it rolled???1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (113962)
• United States
11 Jan
That’s always possible. I know everyone says friction, but I have a clear as day memory of everything; nothing touched that arm to make a friction burn. The only thing is maybe when they were pulling me out the back windshield, the pieces of glass, hot from the sun, just laid under my shirt sleeve, leaving the burn.
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Jan
@AmbiePam Strange. right? I guess physics can do some weird things (like a plastic straw going through a telephone pole in a tornado). In a car accident as a passenger, I ended up with bruises and a huge bump on my shin. I don't recall my leg hitting anything at all. Hubby was a passenger in a different car accident . . . car spun 180 and although he was seated normally, he ended up with a broken rib.
1 person likes this
@luisadannointed (10125)
• Philippines
8 Jan
OM! I don't want to imagine that. But I am glad you are alright. And I hope there's no after effects, I hope everything is okay now, coz if I can remember it, you were also complaining about your past injury about it - I hope everything is okay now. God bless you with a complete healing in Jesus' name, Amen.
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (44482)
• United States
9 Jan
That's a mystery for sure. I'm sorry you had to suffer like that.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (215266)
• United States
9 Jan
Maybe your arm was dragged against something. Friction could cause a "rug burn" type of incident. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that.
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (66730)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
10 Jan
Glad you made it through that wreck. I asked Chris what he thought the burn came from and he said he didn't know but it looked like it hurt.
1 person likes this
@Dreamerby (9975)
• Calcutta, India
9 Jan
If it were me, I would have thought of it as a mosquito bite. But I think there aren't any where you live.
1 person likes this
