Since hitting the market in 2010, gel manicures have become a staple in beauty salons around the world, and it’s easy to see why. Compared to ordinary nail polish, gel nail polish is more resistant to damage, retains its shine for a long time and simplifies the procedure due to the possibility of quick drying.
All these benefits are available thanks to the use of ultraviolet light, which activates the chemicals inside the gel polish, which leads to its rapid hardening. And although the dangers of ultraviolet radiation – especially when tanning – are well known, scientists have not previously studied how the use of UV lamps can affect human skin.
Devices used in nail salons emit a different spectrum of ultraviolet light than tanning beds. A group of researchers from the University of California, San Diego decided to study the devices after reading an article about a beauty pageant contestant who was diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer on her finger.
Using different combinations of human and mouse cells, the researchers found that one A 20-minute session with a UV lamp led to the death of 30% of cells in a petri dish; three consecutive 20-minute sessions showed 65 to 70% death of exposed cells.
Among other cells marked signs of mitochondrial and DNA damage, as well as mutations observed in patients with skin cancer..
“The results of our experiments and preliminary evidence strongly suggest that radiation from nail UV lamps can cause hand cancer and, like tanning beds, can increase the risk of early-stage skin cancer,” the scientists wrote in a study published in the journal Nature Communications. on Tuesday
The scientists say a longer epidemiological study is needed before they can definitively confirm that the use of UV nail polish dryers leads to an increased risk of skin cancer, adding that “such studies are likely to take at least a decade before the public is informed.” .
Source: Engadget
