# Best body part to get burned **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 12, 2013, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290 "2013-07-12T05:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/1 "2013-07-12T05:48:01Z")
You are visited by a genie, who says, “I have seen your future, and you are destined to receive a severe burn sometime soon. I cannot prevent your fate, but I can direct it to some degree. If you tell me what part of your body you think would be best to have injured, I can make sure that that body part receives the burn.” What do you choose? ---
**Author:** ![listedmia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@listedmia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/listedmia)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/2 "2013-07-12T06:55:14Z")
I had a fairly large amount of second degree burns on my foot, back, shoulder and chest (mostly boob) this winter. Tripped while carrying a large pot of hot water with some fat in it, if anybody wants to know. The shoulder and back parts were the worst, because even when they started to heal I couldn’t sleep on them. The foot sucked too, even though those were first degree it was really uncomfortable to wear shoes. I’m voting leg, just because I haven’t had that one yet and arm might cause more unsightly scarring. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/3 "2013-07-12T10:47:14Z")
Hair ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/4 "2013-07-12T11:48:39Z")
How about some of my excess belly fat? ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/5 "2013-07-12T13:48:43Z")
Anus? Can’t be any worse than after those bad burritos I ate that one time. I didn’t think my intestines could hold that much scalding liquid. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/6 "2013-07-12T14:16:53Z")
I’m thinking chest. Even with a shirt on I can sit at a desk or chair in such a way that the shirt isn’t resting on it. Same for sleeping. I can sleep on my side or back and not have my chest touched. Also the skin on my chest doesn’t stretch and move during the day as much as say my back or shoulders. ---
**Author:** ![tmoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@tmoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tmoh)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/7 "2013-07-12T16:00:48Z")
Arm. I’ve already had three different second-degree burns there (all cooking accidents) and they healed just fine. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/8 "2013-07-13T03:21:42Z")
I once got burned by boiling water to my right arm and right hand. The arm recovered relatively quickly, while my fingers and hand were slow to mend. I would not choose my hand or feet for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Mathematics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@Mathematics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathematics)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/9 "2013-07-13T03:24:32Z")
I also recently got a second degree burn on my arm and it didn’t really hurt. It healed well although it was disgusting. (I don’t have much experience with blisters.) So, feel free to burn your arm. I also now have an amazingly cool scar. I hope it never fades. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/10 "2013-07-13T03:27:00Z")
Leg ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/11 "2013-07-13T03:33:49Z")
Assuming the burn would cover the same area no matter which body part I chose, I’d go with “leg”. The skin on my legs is less sensitive than that on the other parts, and it’s easier to isolate a leg and not bump it by accident. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/12 "2013-07-13T04:07:28Z")
Leg, with arm as a second choice. The other options seem like they would hurt more when I try to do stuff, but the limbs would be relatively out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-body-part-to-get-burned/663290/13 "2013-07-13T05:30:20Z")
Butt. Good old Glut. Max. I could stand to lose some weight there anyway…