A new study has found that UV nail lamps, often used for gel manicures or pedicures, can damage human DNA and cause skin cancer.

When a person leaves the nail salon after a traditional nail polish, it is often very easy for that person’s nails to get smudged within two minutes of departing. Traditional polish was also prone to chipping and cracks that would ruin a perfectly manicured hand.

To solve this issue, gel polish entered the industry- a shiny, durable, chip-resistant product that would require the assistance of an ultraviolet light to harden and mask all nail imperfections.

As its use began to trend, Ludmil Alexandrov, professor of bioengineering and cellular and molecular medicine at UC San Diego, and and his colleagues saw medical journals that stated persons who got frequent gel manicures, mainly pageant contestants and estheticians, had rare cancers in their fingers. This prompted them to do their own study that resulted in a shocking revelation.

According to their study, published in the Journal of Nature Communications, the bulbs found in UV lamps fall within the UVA bracket, the the longest-wavelength ultraviolet light. UVA is also found in tanning beds that have been known to contribute to the development of skin cancer.

For their study, they included two types of human cells as well as cells extracted from mouse embryos. The cells were then placed in a petri dish and given acute exposure’ and ‘chronic exposure’ under UV nail lamps.

The cell that place under acute exposure was under the light for 20 minutes, it was then given an hour to repair followed by another 20 minute session under the light. But the cell placed under chronic exposure was under the light for 20 minutes a day for three consecutive days.

Researchers found that the cells under acute exposure saw 20 to 30 percent of itself dying, while three consecutive 20-minute exposures caused between 65 and 70 per cent of exposed cells to die. Additionally, the surviving cells had mitochondrial and DNA damage that resulted in mutations with patterns that can be observed in skin cancer in humans. 

Currently, there are some existing researches that suggest UV nail lights are safe. According to the Food and Drug Administration, UV nail lamps pose a low health risk ‘when used as directed by the label’. Experts at Harvard also recommend for person’s to apply sunscreen before a manicure or wear fingerless gloves during appointments.

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