Prized for the shiny appearance and strength they give to the nails, UV dryers can be dangerous to health. A study published in the journal Nature on January 17 indicates that prolonged exposure to these dryers can damage human DNA and cells.
These devices, like UV booths, rely on UVA rays, the ultraviolet rays normally emitted by the sun. Numerous scientific studies have already shown the danger of prolonged exposure to sunlight such as UV cabins, which can cause premature aging of skin cells, as well as skin cancer.
70% dead cells
To measure the danger of UV nail dryers, the authors of the study published in Nature, attached to the University of California at San Diego and the University of Pittsburgh, exposed two types of cells to its waves. Human cells and mouse cells.
For three days, several cell cultures were placed under the radiation of a nail dryer, for a maximum time of 20 minutes. The conclusions drawn from the study are more than revealing. In a single 20 minute exposure, 20-30% of the exposed cells die. After three 20-minute sessions, this time 65 to 70% of the cells are dead.
Damage was observed in human and mouse cells, as well as in their DNA.
“It is very clear that it negatively affects cells and damages DNA,” explained the Washington Post Ludmil Alexandrov, one of the lead authors of the study.
More studies are needed
However, it is still too early to know whether the observed damage may lead to an increased risk of cancer. Although the study indicates that UV exposure may “increase the risk of developing skin cancer,” the authors call for additional studies to assess the safety of nail dryers.
“Taken together, our experimental results and previous studies strongly suggest that the radiation emitted by UV nail dryers can cause skin cancer on the hand (…). However, larger-scale epidemiological studies are needed to verify accurately determine the risks of skin cancer for people who regularly use UV nail dryers,” the scientists write.
the Washington Post points out that the cell damage seen in the US study may actually be less severe. The scientists worked with cell samples, not actual humans. However, humans have several layers of skin, which can limit the risks of UVA rays.
Not enough to reassure Professor Maral Skelsey, director of the Dermatologic Surgery Center in Washington DC, interviewed by the American newspaper. The DNA damage observed by scientists may well “lead to the most common skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, but also melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer,” she says.
Source: BFM TV
