'Better than what was there before': Jay Leno Jokes about his 'brand new face' after garage fire

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Jay Leno reveals facial scars for the first time since fire accident as he gets released from hospital

Jay Leno reveals friend saved his life during car fire as he suffers third-degree burns

The comedian joked, "Eight days later, I had a brand new face. And it’s better than what was there before," as per the Wall Street Journal. Leno added, "But really, it was an accident, that’s all. Anybody who works with their hands on a regular basis is going to have an accident at some point." Leno credited his "quick-thinking" buddy Dave Killackey for saving his life when the incident occurred. According to Leno, Dave was right there and jumped on him, quickly smothering the flames.

"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. There’s nothing worse than whiny celebrities. If you joke about it, people laugh along with you," Leno told WSJ. 

On November 12, as Leno was working on one of his cars, a 1907 White Steam automobile, a fuel leak resulted in gas being sprayed all over his hands and face. The gas then ignited, setting him ablaze. At the burn center, he underwent several procedures, including two grafting procedures to remove unhealthy tissue and promote healing and several hyperbaric chamber sessions in an effort to “decrease swelling” and “increase blood flow with good oxygenation.”

Shortly after a 10-day hospital stint, he returned to comedy, performing in front of a packed house at the Comedy Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, California.