Jade Small
Jade Small
March 21, 2024 ·  5 min read

The Dangers of UV Nail Dryers: What Impact Do They Have On Our Health?

If you have chosen gel manicures at the salon, you are most likely accustomed to having your nails dried under a UV lamp. And maybe you’ve been waiting and wondering, what’s the safety factor on these UV Nail Dryers? The identical query was posed to researchers at the Universities of Pittsburgh and California San Diego. They used mouse and human cell lines to test the UV-emitting devices, and last week they published their results in the journal Nature Communications.

They discovered that prolonged usage of the devices can harm human cells’ DNA and result in mutations that raise the risk of skin cancer. However, they issue a warning that additional information is required before drawing any firm conclusions. “Future large-scale epidemiological studies are warranted to accurately quantify the risk for skin cancer of the hand in people regularly using UV-nail polish dryers,” the study says. “It is likely that such studies will take at least a decade to complete and to subsequently inform the general public.

The UV Nail Dryers Are A Cause For Concern

The study’s primary author, Maria Zhivagui, a postdoctoral researcher at UC San Diego, told NPR over the phone that she was concerned about the study’s strong findings, particularly since she regularly got gel manicures every two to three weeks. The study’s primary author, Maria Zhivagui, a postdoctoral researcher at UC San Diego, told NPR over the phone that she was concerned about the study’s strong findings, particularly since she regularly got gel manicures every two to three weeks.  “When I saw these results, I decided to kind of put a hold on it and just mitigate as much as possible my exposure to these risk factors,” Zhivagui continued, saying that although she and many other regulars even had a UV drier at home, they currently don’t see themselves utilizing it for anything beyond drying glue.

According to dermatologist and head of Weill Cornell Medicine’s Nail Division Dr. Shari Lipner, the study validates worries about UV dryers that the medical community has had for several years. She claims that many physicians were already in the practice of telling gel users to wear fingerless gloves and sunscreen to protect their skin. 

UV Nail Dryers Used In Salons Are More Powerful Than The Ones Used For Studies

I think even before the study, that was the way to go,” Lipner told NPR. “And in light of the study, I think it should convince people even more to use caution.” She clarified that Zhivagui’s team chose to undertake this research for several reasons. Some physicians have linked uncommon malignancies on fingers and nails that some regular gel paint users have reported over the years to UV exposure (Lipner states the few research on this have been mixed). These instances have included beauty pageant winners.

Furthermore, the FDA and other organizations heavily promote the safety of UV devices, but she was unable to locate any research that looked at how they affected cells to support that claim. “We wanted to devise this study and design it to… address questions about the potential harms of these artificial UV lamps,” says Zhivagui, who focuses on public health and cancer prevention research. 

Three distinct cell types—two human and one mouse—were put to varied degrees of exposure in the study. The petri dishes were subjected to acute exposure, which involved 20 minutes in a UV machine, followed by an hour out and then another 20 minutes in. They spent three days, or twenty minutes a day, beneath the machine as part of a chronic exposure. Researchers discovered that three successive sessions led to the death of 65-70% of the exposed cells, but a single 20-minute session only caused 20–30% of the cells to die. In the remaining cells, UV radiation also damages DNA and mitochondria.

The Study Didn’t Even Look At The Commercial Ones

Zhivagui points out that UV devices often used in nail salons are more powerful than the ones used in the study, so even if they are used for shorter periods in the salon than in the lab, the exposure energy may be higher. The study demonstrates that human cells are harmed by frequent exposure to UV radiation. Although it cites earlier research that links gene abnormalities to an increased risk of cancer, it is unable to prove a definitive connection between it and an increased risk of skin malignancies. The findings of a single study have limitations. Lipner notes that if there’s any chance that volunteers may get skin cancer, it would be immoral to repeat it with real people.

“So sometimes cell line studies, even though they’re not exactly what’s happening in the human, [are] kind of our best shot to see what’s going on,” Lipner explains.

She and Zhivagui both agree that extensive epidemiological research is required. This may entail tracking a large number of consistent gel polish users over time and then analyzing those who do have health issues. Since DNA damage frequently takes months to accumulate and gel manicures are relatively new, Lipner thinks there’s a good chance that additional skin cancer cases linked to UV dryers may surface in the years to come.

And so what I would recommend is that people who have a long history of regular history of doing the gel nails … every few weeks for years, they should partner with a board-certified dermatologist who can check their skin regularly looking for early signs of skin cancer,” Lipner explains.

She continues, “There’s another reason why people might not want to get gel polish: It has been demonstrated that the acetone used to remove it thins and weakens nails, which is a problem from both a functional and cosmetic standpoint.

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