Genmetics is the medical practice of genetic cosmetics and they are one of the few regulated and legal forms of genetic manipulation in the galaxy. Seen as the holy grail of cosmetic alteration, genmetics has replaced traditional cosmetic surgery in all but the poorest regions of the galaxy, and is seen as a much safer alternative. Depending on what outcome is required, some changes are permanent while others are temporary to spur the required change, and are then restored to the patients original coding once the desired change has occurred.
The changes that can be made using legal genmetics are limited to those physical characteristics of the species; i.e. it is not possible for a Human to change their hair pink and grow the antennae of an Antaran. The most common practices throughout the galaxy revolve around those practices, surgical or otherwise, carried out by many species to change their appearance.
As with most things which grated against the status-quo, genmetics was not without controversy. Whilst procedures do not require the manual cutting and manipulation of a patient’s body, changing of their genetic makeup, even on a temporary basis, can be problematic. Today, the risk is negligible and issues only tend to arise when patients do not heed their doctor’s warnings to rectify any issues. This is not to say that genmetics has not had headline grabbing incidents. One such incident occurred during the early days when only the Anderson Institute, based in Los Angeles, Earth, offered the treatment. Ms. Ivona Sykora was obsessed with cosmetic surgery and had had undergone surgery on more than 100 occasions. As one of the earliest to undergo the treatment she refused to heed the advice of her doctor to have her genes restored. A medical order was finally issued and she spent the rest of her life in a bizarre state of ecstasy with breasts the size of small bungalows, lips the size of tractor tyres, and a backside larger than a double-decker bus.
