UV Dryers At Nail Salons May Be Linked To Cancer Risk & Here's What Doctors Recommend
A new study is raising concerns.
A woman using a UV nail dryer at a salon.
If you frequently get gel manicures at a nail salon, you may want to start taking some precautions to protect your skin.
A study released in January is highlighting the risks of ultraviolet (UV) nail dryers and experts say it's adding to the already existing concerns about skin cancer.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found that radiation emitted from a UV nail dryer can not only damage a person's DNA but can also risk permanent mutations in their cells, according to NBC News. This damage can then increase a person's risk of early-onset skin cancer.
The study was based on the effects of UV light on mice (not people), but the results are concerning because they line up with previous studies on the topic, according to a dermatologist in New York City.
"Even though it's a study in [mouse] cells and not humans, it really added to the evidence that these UV dryers may be dangerous," Dr. Shari Lipner, an associate professor of clinical dermatology and director of the nail division at Weill Cornell Medicine, told Narcity.
Here's what you need to know about it.
Are UV nail dryers safe?
UV nail dryers are used to set and harden gel manicures.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, nail salons use UV lamps and LED lamps, and both emit UV radiation.
The foundations adds that they predominantly produce UVA rays, which have been linked to both premature skin aging and a higher cancer risk. UVA rays are the most common form of radiation that comes to us from the sun, according to the U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC).On its website, Harvard Medical School notes that the level of UVA exposure that comes with a gel manicure every two weeks isn't enough to increase the risk of cancer too much, but being aware of the risks is important.
What is nail melanoma?
The Canadian Dermatology Association says nail melanoma (or Subungual melanoma) is a type of skin cancer that can "rarely develop beneath the surface of the nail."
It looks like a brown or black streak and many people may mistakenly think it's a bruise.
Men and women are equally at risk for this type of melanoma and the risk increases after the age of 50, the association says.
In a lot of cases, nail melanomas show up in the thumbnail or big toenail, but that doesn't mean it can't happen in any nail.
What does nail melanoma look like?
The American Academy of Dermatology Association says there are several changes to your hands and feet that indicate you have melanoma, including:
- A dark streak on any nail, but typically it shows up on the thumb or big toe of your dominant hand or foot
- Dark skin next to your nail
- Nail lifting from your fingers or toes
- Nail splitting down the middle
- A bump or nodule under your nails
However, she noted she never expected it to show up on her nail.
Jasko told the outlet that a nail technician pointed out the changes in her nail during a visit. In her case, the melanoma looked like a straight thin vertical line from the "top to the bottom of her nail with a purplish tint to it."
While she didn't think anything of it at the time, a visit to the doctor confirmed it was melanoma.
“It was overwhelming because everything happened so quick,” Jasko said. “It was so scary… My mom was like, ‘I can’t believe that I never even thought that it could be in your nail.’"
In her case, Jasko was told she may lose her thumb, but in the end, only had her nail removed to deal with the cancer.
Do all manicures pose a cancer risk?
Since UV nail dryers are typically used to set gel manicures, there are other manicures you can get that are safer options.
Dr. Lipner recommends getting a regular manicure or using a dip powder.
How can you lower your risk of skin cancer at nail salons?
Dr. Lipner wants the public to be aware of the risks associated with these popular nail dryers.
"People that have already had a lot of sun exposure, who may be immunosuppressed or otherwise have an increased risk for skin cancer really may want to avoid the dryers completely," she said.
Others at lower risk of skin cancer may still want to take other precautions, like applying a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher to your hands and fingertips before your appointment. She also suggests fingerless gloves to shield your hands from the machine's UV rays.
For those who get gel manicures say once a month, Dr. Lipner recommends going less often and only for special occasions if possible.
"Then there are other manicuring options such as just regular polish, dip powder manicures, stick ons, so there's definitely alternatives."
Why aren't UV nail dryers banned?
As there is no definitive evidence that UV nail dryers can cause skin cancer, Dr. Lipner doesn't see UV dryers being banned anytime soon. At this point, she says the best thing you can do is be aware of the risks.
"I think the public definitely needs to know that there's mounting evidence, and there's definitely a concern and they should use caution," she said.
What should you be mindful of if you get gel manicures often?
Dr. Lipner says anyone who gets gel manicures regularly should partner up with a dermatologist so they can check for any signs of skin cancer and catch anything that comes up early.
"If there's one [type of skin cancer] that developed in association with the gel manicures, certainly they're at risk for getting others," she explained.
"Getting skin cancer is not usually immediate, right? It's not like you put your hand in the gel dryer and boom, next day you have skin cancer. They need time to develop."
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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