Ladies beware: UV nail polish dryer causes DNA damage, skin cancer-Study

According to a new study, ultraviolet nail polish drying devices used to cure gel manicures may pose more of a public health, as the cellular-level issues of the UV nail polish dryers could result in cancer.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego studied these ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting devices. They found that their use leads to cell death and cancer-causing mutations in human cells.

However, The devices are a common fixture in nail salons and generally use a particular spectrum of UV light (340-395nm) to cure the chemicals used in gel manicures. While tanning beds use a different range of UV light (280-400nm) that studies have conclusively demonstrated to be carcinogenic. Meanwhile, the spectrum used in nail dryers has not been well studied.

Researchers noted that just one 20-minute session can result in “between 20 and 30 percent cell death.” As for the cells that aren’t killed off, it was noted that they can experience DNA damage and undergo mutations consistent with observations in people diagnosed with skin cancer.

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Also, professor Dr. Ludmil Alexandrov noted that the products are “marketed as safe” without their molecular-level impacts being understood.

He said, “If you look at the way these devices are presented, they are marketed as safe, with nothing to be concerned about. But to the best of our knowledge, no one has studied these devices and how they affect human cells at the molecular and cellular levels until now.”

Alexandrov broke down just how serious the issue can be, as he says irreparable DNA mutations can occur “after every exposure.” He also emphasized that “the exact same patterns of mutations” are visible in skin cancer patients.

Interestingly, Alexandrov notes that he was inspired to look into UV nail polish dryers after reading a story about a beauty pageant contestant who had been diagnosed with an uncommon form of skin cancer on her finger.

However, the results “strongly suggest” that UV nail polish dryers “may increase the risk of early-onset skin cancer.”