Who doesn’t love a manicure? Treating yourself to a nice relaxing spa day is always lovely. And regardless of who you are, everybody loves being pampered. But have you ever considered the effects of using a UV nail lamp, whether at salons or at home? UV is notorious for being one of the leading causes of skin cancer. So how dangerous is having concentrated amounts used directly on your fingers and hands? Let’s find out:
What are UV Lamps?
You may have seen your local nail salon use those dome shaped machines that glow blue to set your polish. That is a UV lamp. Cancer council tell us “These lamps can be called UV lamps or LED lamps and both emit UV radiation, predominantly UVA rays which have been linked to increased risk of skin cancer.”
Certain nail designs require the UV lamp to harden gels that keep your nails better for longer than standard polish. Even with processes that don’t require it exclusively, these lamps can still be used to set a sealing top coat.
What do the experts say?
So, what do the experts say about using these UV lamps, even if for only minutes at a time? The New York Times advises us of the following: “Health experts agree that UV light causes damage to skin cells, but there’s still not enough data to determine just how dangerous the occasional gel manicure might be, said Dr. Chris Adigun, a dermatologist in Chapel Hill”. What about trials?
It continues “In the new study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications last month, researchers exposed human and mouse cells to radiation from a popular nail lamp that is used in many U.S. nail salons. When the cells were exposed to UV light from the lamp for 20 minutes, around 30 percent of the cells died. Some of the cells that survived suffered damage to their DNA. The damage patterns that the researchers observed were similar to those seen in people with melanoma, a potentially deadly type of skin cancer, said Maria Zhivagui, a co-author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar of cancer genomics and public health”.
The Answer
While this evidence seems to point towards that using nail lamps being potentially detrimental; ultimately there is no proven direct link between UV lamps and cancer. “Although the cell damage is worrying, Dr. Zhivagui said, the study does not prove that UV lamps can cause cancer. Cells in a lab are more vulnerable to damage than cells on a person’s hand, which has a thick outer layer of skin made of dead cells that helps protect against environmental damage, Dr. Adigun said.”
Going back to Cancer councils information it says “we don’t have strong research about devices used in nail salons. Generally UV and LED lamps emit low levels of radiation and exposure times are short. If you are concerned, […] use fingerless gloves – many salons now offer these.”
So the conclusion? Don’t be overly concerned about these machines, however you can still take measures to protect yourself. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to your GP or skin check doctor and ask their advice on what you can do. Or ask your salon about UV free nail treatments that may have the same effect without the risk!
Sources : https://www.cancer.org.au/iheard/do-the-uv-lights-used-in-nail-salons-for-shellac-and-other-nail-polishes-cause-skin-cancer https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/well/live/gel-manicures-uv-light-cancer.html
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