Gene Alteration

Gene Alteration is a medical/biological procedure that involves the altering, eliminating, or replacing of genetic traits to alter one's constitution.

History
The procedure was created and eventually perfected 55 years ago by Louisa Lovelace, a Norman biologist. She was able to complete the method just in time to save the life of her son who was diagnosed with a potentially fatal genetic disorder that was passed down from his grandfather who had already died from it. The surgery completely removed the gene the disorder was attached to.

Medical Uses
As mentioned above, the procedure is meant to eliminate genetic diseases and disabilities that can be fatal. Although her son's condition prompted her to create the cure, Louisa made sure this surgery would be affordable to anyone who needed it. Over the decades, the surgery became so inexpensive that average citizens would go on to get less desirable traits removed that weren't life threatening. One example is bow-leggedness.

Cosmetic Surgery
Future scientists discovered that gene alteration could also create new genes that never existed before. This includes new hair and eye color genes. Hair dyes and colored contacts began to go off the market as getting permanent streaks and odd eye colors genetically planted into people proved to be less of a hassle. What used to be praised as a scientific breakthrough is now little more than a fad since hereditary diseases have been almost completely wiped out at this point. Previously unnatural hair colors such as blue, pink, purple, etc. have now become natural as they have been passed down to the children of parents who had the procedure done to them. The popularity of gene alteration has resulted in about 60% of Normans possessing some artificially developed trait. Racial slurs such as "Hue Head" are in reference to a Norman's odd hair color stemming from gene alteration.