UV nail polish dryers can lead to cancer-causing cell mutations, research reveals
Ultraviolet (UV) nail polish dryers used for beauty treatments like gel manicures could be dangerous, according to new research.
These dryers are portable lamps that emit rays of UV light to quickly dry nail polish formulas, known as shellac or gels. But a new study warns that these devices could cause cancer.
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A team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego, found that as little as 20 minutes of exposure can lead to the death of cells and cancer-causing mutations in human cells.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHo), there are three types of UV radiation and are classified according to their wavelengths. They differ in their biological activity and the extent to which they can penetrate the skin.
Generally, the shorter the wavelength, the more harmful the UV radiation. However, shorter wavelength UV radiation is less able to penetrate the skin.
The UV region covers the wavelength range of 100-400 nm and is divided into three bands:
– UVA (315-400 nm)
– UVB (280-315 nm)
– UVC (100-280 nm)
The health agency said short-wavelength UVC is the most damaging type of UV radiation.
However, it is completely filtered by the atmosphere and does not reach the earth’s surface.
Despite this, UV nail lamps tend to be sold without much consideration of their potential health risks, according to the experts, who published their study in Nature Communications.
Professor of bioengineering, and cellular and molecular medicine, Ludmil Alexandrov explained, “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 actually studied these devices and how they affect human cells at the molecular and cellular levels – until now.”
Professor Alexandrov and colleagues have noticed reports in medical journals about people who get gel manicures frequently, such as pageant contestants and estheticians, who now have rare cancers in their fingers.
To conduct the study, three cell types – adult human skin keratinocytes, human foreskin fibroblasts, and mouse embryonic fibroblasts – were exposed to UV curing machines.
In a Petri dish, the cells were placed in one of the UV curing machines for 20 minutes.
They were then taken out for an hour to repair, and then given another 20-minute session under the UV drying lamp.
Another Petri dish, full of cells, was exposed to chronic UV exposure, with 20-minute sessions for three consecutive days.
They reported that a 20-minute session of exposure to a UV-emitting device led up to 30 per cent cell death.
Meanwhile, three consecutive 20-minute sessions caused up to 70 per cent of the exposed cells to die.
Exposure to UV light also caused mitochondrial and DNA damage in the remaining cells.
Moreover, the mutations had patterns that can be observed in skin cancer.
The professor at the University of California said, “What we saw was that there was zero molecular understanding of what these devices were doing to human cells.”
He added: “We saw that DNA gets damaged.
“We also saw that some of the DNA damage does not get repaired over time, and it does lead to mutations after every exposure to a UV nail polish dryer.
“Lastly, we saw that exposure may cause mitochondrial dysfunction, which may also result in additional mutations.”
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