“UV nail polish dryers have DNA damage and carcinogenic problems”
Ultraviolet (UV) nail polish dryers used for gel manicures can be harmful to the body, a new study has found.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have discovered that nail polish ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting devices can lead to cell death and cancer-causing mutations in the body’s cells. This device is a fixture commonly found in nail art shops. The chemicals used in gel manicure are dried by exposure to UV rays (340-395 nm) of a specific spectrum.
Unlike tanning devices that use ultraviolet light, the spectrum used in nail dryers has so far been little studied. The research team said, “Research on UV devices for nail art has not yet been properly conducted, and because of this, the effect on human cells has not been investigated in detail.”
Using three different cell lines: adult dermal keratinocytes, human foreskin fibroblasts and mouse embryonic fibroblasts, the research team used a UV emitter for 20 minutes to kill 20-30% of the cells, with three consecutive 20-minute exposures. They found that 65-70% of the cells died.
In addition, when exposed to ultraviolet rays, mitochondria and DNA damage occurred in the remaining cells, resulting in a pattern of mutations that can be observed in skin cancer.
The research team said, “We confirmed that some of the DNA damage is not repaired over time and leads to mutations whenever exposed to UV nail polish dryers.” he explained.
“A large-scale epidemiological study will be needed to accurately quantify the cancer risk among those who regularly use a UV dryer,” he added, adding that it may take about 10 years for large-scale studies and final conclusions.
