Jay Leno Teases That His 'Brand New Face' Is 'Better Than What Was There Before' Accident
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Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images; LAGOSSIPTV/BUZZIPPER / BACKGRID Jay Leno
Jay Leno is making light of his recent garage accident.
"Eight days later, I had a brand new face," the comedian wrote in the Wall Street Journal about the gasoline fire that left him needing surgery for burns to his face, chest and hands. "And it's better than what was there before."
The host of Jay Leno's Garage also remained grounded in reality about his accident.
"It was an accident, that's all," he wrote Sunday. "Anybody who works with their hands on a regular basis is going to have an accident at some point. If you play football, you get a concussion or a broken leg. Anything you do, there's a risk factor."
"You have to joke about it," the former host of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno added about the benefits of remaining positive. "There's nothing worse than whiny celebrities. If you joke about it, people laugh along with you."
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Snorlax/MEGA Jay Leno
RELATED: Jay Leno Returns to Stage 2 Weeks After Burn Accident: 'I Never Thought of Myself as a Roast Comic'
In Leno's case, laughter truly appears to be the best medicine.
The comedian returned to the stage just two weeks after his Nov. 27 accident for a sold-out performance at The Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, Calif.
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"I never thought of myself as a roast comic," Leno joked to reporters including NBC News as he arrived at the venue. "We have two shows tonight — regular and extra crispy."
"I feel good, thank you guys," he added.
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One clubgoer told NBC News afterward that Leno "looked great" and "had a lot of stamina," during the show, while another explained that Leno was "full of energy" during his hour-long standup set. "(He) told joke after joke after joke," added the audience member.
Kevin Winter/Getty Jay Leno appears on "The Tonight Show"
Despite the laughs, however, Leno's condition was no joking matter when he first was admitted to the Grossman Burn Center on Nov. 12 after suffering second- and third-degree burns on his face, chest and hands.
The accident occurred while he was working on a steam engine underneath a car in his garage around 12:30 p.m. The Burbank Fire Department responded to the incident, transporting Leno to the renowned center where he underwent a series of surgical excision and grafting procedures for his injuries.
"I do anticipate him making a full recovery," Dr. Peter Grossman, medical director at the Grossman Burn Center, said shortly after the accident.
Leno was similarly optimistic, speaking two days after the incident in a statement shared with PEOPLE. "I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire," he said. "I am okay. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet."
