Ultraviolet (UV) drying lamps, which are commonly used for gel manicures, can cause cancer-causing mutations in cells, a new study has claimed. The devices, which are common in nail salons, use a specific spectrum of UV light (340-395nm) to cure the chemicals used in gel manicures. The study was done by researchers at the University of California San Diego and was published in the journal Nature. The researchers studied that these UV light-emitting devices pose a higher public health concern than previously thought.
Ludmil Alexandrov, a professor of bioengineering at the university and author of the study, 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 actually studied these devices and how they affect human cells at the molecular and cellular levels until now."
The researchers examined three cell lines in the study namely human skin keratinocytes, human foreskin fibroblasts and mouse embryonic fibroblasts. The findings revealed that a 20-minute session of UV light exposure caused 20 per cent to 30 per cent of exposed cells to die, while three 20-minute sessions caused 65 per cent to 70 per cent cell death. The remaining cells were not immune to harm either, they suffered DNA damage and mutations, oddly familiar to skin cancer.
Mr Alexandrov continued, "We saw multiple things: first, 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 with a UV-nail polish dryer."
He continued, "Lastly, we saw that exposure may cause mitochondrial dysfunction, which may also result in additional mutations. We looked at patients with skin cancers, and we see the exact same patterns of mutations in these patients that were seen in the irradiated cells."
While the researchers added that more study is needed to determine the long-term effects of the UV lamps, their findings were shocking enough for co-author Maria Zhivagui to give up her gel polish addiction. "When I was doing my PhD, I started hearing about gel manicures, which last longer than normal polish. I was interested in trying out gel nail polish, particularly in the setting of working in an experimental lab where I frequently put gloves on and off, to maintain a presentable appearance," she stated.
Ms Zhivagui said that she decided to stop using the device completely. "So I started using gel manicures periodically for several years. Once I saw the effect of radiation emitted by the gel polish drying device on cell death and that it actually mutates cells even after just one 20-minute session, I was surprised. I found this to be very alarming, and decided to stop using it."
