Are you a regular at nail salons? If so, it’s time to take a closer look at the equipment your nail technician typically uses to help you keep your nails in top condition. Of all the most commonly used tools in the beauty industry, perhaps none is more frequently used and more powerful than UV nail lamps.
The convenience of these ultraviolet lamps has made them nearly ubiquitous in both professional salons and do-it-yourself manicure kits, but there can be serious risks lurking beneath their shiny surfaces that could harm your health if they don’t. are not handled properly. In this article, we are going to take an in-depth look at what exactly a UV lamp entails according to a latest study.
Prolonged use of a UV nail dryer could cause skin damage.
Certainly, the dangers of UV lamps have already been demonstrated; however, this is the first time a study has looked at the impact UV machines can have on nails specifically. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego conducted this study to determine if these machines pose any potential health risks.
The researchers found that most of the time when using a UV nail dryer, the nails and hands are irradiated for up to 10 minutes per session. This cumulative exposure could have potential health consequences with frequent use. To dig deeper into this phenomenon, they studied 27 participants who were exposed to a UV nail dryer for 6 weeks before returning for follow-up exams.
The results of their research were published Jan. 17 in the journal Nature and Communications and showed that people who used a UV nail dryer frequently had significantly more skin damage than those who didn’t use the machine as often. Additionally, those who used it for more than 20 mins also reported higher levels of discomfort during follow-up examinations. The study concludes that while these machines may be safe and effective under certain circumstances, prolonged exposure may lead to unpleasant side effects such as redness, peeling or irritation. It is therefore important to exercise caution when deciding how often to use a UV nail dryer and to take the necessary precautions.
It doesn’t even stop there! the study showed that DNA could experience serious long-term damage.
The researchers analyzed cells from adult human skin, human foreskin and mouse embryos that were exposed to UV light from a nail polish dryer to observe the effects of the radiation. As a result of this observation, the researchers found that the DNA was damaged as a result of its exposure to UV. This damage has been observed both at the level of the single strands and at the level of the double strands, which could lead to mutations likely to cause cancers or other diseases.
The researchers also found that some of these mutations became permanent over time because DNA repair mechanisms failed to properly restore damaged DNA. Additionally, each exposure could cause more mutations due to increased mitochondrial dysfunction and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS have been linked to aging and other degenerative diseases because they interfere with cellular functions like metabolism and gene expression.
In addition, the researchers examined patients with skin cancers and observed examples of radiation-induced somatic mutations in certain parts of their genome. In one case, they found evidence of a mutation in a gene known as PTEN, which is associated with various types of cancer such as breast cancer and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). These results underscore the importance of understanding how UV light can cause mutations and how these changes may contribute to the development of disease in humans.
The team concluded that further research is needed to better understand how UV light affects cells at the molecular level and how it contributes to diseases such as cancer. In addition, preventive measures should be taken by people who are frequently exposed to UV rays from sources such as tanning beds or nail polish dryers, in order to avoid potential side effects such as damage to DNA or somatic mutations.
