Coming

The Metaverse

Welcome to the metaverse.

If you are unsure what that means, you’re not alone as the concept isn’t fully realized yet.

Essentially, the metaverse is a new level of virtual reality being developed by top tech gurus, such as Mark Zuckerberg, who recently changed his company’s name from Facebook to Meta.

This new realm is where everyone will be living, loving, traveling, and playing in the not-too-distant future, and the part of you will be played by…your avatar. As such, your avatar will likely need a personal stylist, and many major brands are already cashing in on the digital fashion trend.

We plastic surgeons are ahead of the game, as we have always used this type of technology as a consultation and surgical planning tool, showing our patients what they may look like with a new nose or slimmer jawline.

Who’s to say we won’t start offering procedures on avatars in the future? It is possible that patients can have their nose done by a Park Avenue plastic surgeon without ever going under the knife or visiting Park Avenue. Or maybe get their Botox done by a dermatologist to the stars. When everything is virtual, anything is possible.

Going

The Pandemic

First the good news, COVID-19 likely won’t be considered a pandemic much longer. By all accounts, the virus that upended our lives in ways that we wouldn’t have believed possible just a few years ago is set to become endemic. In other words, COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere…ever.

That said, endemic status means that the virus will become part of the new normal and less of something to fear and hide from. Just like the flu, COVID-19 will become seasonal. The hope is that enough people will be protected via vaccination and natural infection and the virus won’t spread out of control and/or tax the health infrastructure any longer.

That’s not to say there won’t be new variants (there almost definitely will be) and that many of the prevention methods that have become second nature will no longer be needed. Many of the safeguards we put in place during the height of the pandemic, including new sanitizing protocols and social distancing, are likely here to stay. COVID-19 has changed us forever.