For more than a decade, researchers have believed that routine use of ultraviolet nail dryers used for gel manicures may increase the risk of skin cancer. , which exposes humans to ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation. This is known to cause skin cancer from other sources, such as sun exposure and tanning beds.
the study It was announced last week that radiation from UV nail dryers can damage DNA and cause permanent mutations in human cells, which has been linked to cancer risk.
Such cell damage is “just one step on the road to cancer,” said Julia Curtis, Ph.D., an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Utah, who was not involved in the new study.
However, this study did not look at real people. Researchers exposed human and mouse-derived cells to UV light from a nail dryer. They observed that 20% to 30% of the cells were dead after 20 minutes. After three consecutive 20-minute sessions, 65% to 70% of the cells were dead.
Previous studies have found only a small association between skin cancer and gel nail polish.Ah 2020 analysis identified two women in the United States who developed melanoma on the back of the hand between 2007 and 2016. We both used gel her nail polish for years. Overall, however, the researchers determined that that type of nail polish, which involves applying gel polish that needs to set under a UV lamp, had little to no association with cancer.
“At this time, we recommend or advise weighing the risks,” said Maria Zivaghi, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego. She said, “Please understand what this is doing. There is damage at the DNA level. I don’t know if it is carcinogenic.”
Scientists need to study the effects of UV nail dryers in real humans before making any definitive conclusions about cancer risk, she added. He said the process could take another 10 years.
“UV nail lamps didn’t become popular until around the 2000s, so it’s very difficult to figure out cause and effect,” says Curtis.
Still, Curtis and Zhivagui said they never got a nail polish in their lives that required a UV nail dryer.
“You wouldn’t be able to find a dermatologist who wouldn’t say that UVA is aging us and increasing our risk of skin cancer.” To do.”
Davis said she doesn’t wear nail polish, but if she did, she was concerned about the aging effects of UVA radiation.
The harmful effects of UV radiation accumulate over time, and Davis’ own research It has been suggested that the more often a manicure is done with a UV nail lamp, the higher the risk of damage may be.
Using a UV nail dryer every other week is “probably too much,” she said.
“If you’re going to do this before the wedding and you want to feel special, sure,” Davis added.
Studies have yet to determine whether there are safe levels of UVA exposure in the context of manicures, or whether there are precise levels that may pose health risks.
Zivagi’s past research It has been suggested that setting acrylic nails with UV light every three weeks for a year may produce stronger UVA radiation than sunlight during that time.
Three dermatologists found that wearing fingerless gloves when using a UV nail dryer and applying a waterproof broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least 50 SPF before a nail appointment provides some protection. I agree with you.
They also said people who are older, have fair skin, or are taking medications that make them more sensitive to light, such as certain blood pressure medications, need to be more careful.
Some may decide that UV exposure from gel nail polish isn’t worth the bet, says Davis, but given how little we know about it.
“People don’t want to know in five years that they might have been doing something dangerous and taking precautions to protect their hands.
