Jan 18 , 2024

Can a UV Nail Lamp Cause DNA Damage?

Can a UV Nail Lamp Cause DNA Damage?

While many of us enjoy the convenience of gel manicures, there’s an intricate dance of light, chemistry and technology hard at work behind the scenes to make them as quick, durable and beautiful as they are.uv nail lamp While nail salons can offer a wide variety of gel polish colors and finishes, most require a UV lamp to harden or ‘cure’ the polish so that it’s ready for a top coat, and then again to fully dry once that’s done.

During the curing process, the UV rays from a nail lamp are supposed to interact with photoinitiators in the gel polish and cause it to become rigid. This makes the top coat layer of a gel manicure able to adhere and withstand wear and tear, without chipping or peeling off. However, this isn’t the only thing a UV nail lamp does: if it’s used for long enough, the nail dryer can also cause DNA damage, which in turn may lead to skin cancer.

The problem is, according to a recent study in Nature Communications, the UVA rays emitted by most nail dryers aren’t any different than those from the sun, and can cause a similar biological response. This is because the radiation emitted by a nail dryer can cause mutations in DNA, which then leaves a mark on the DNA every time the cell divides. And since our cells are constantly dividing, this can mean that over time, our DNA is gradually becoming more damaged and more susceptible to mutations that could lead to skin cancer.

However, the good news is that while the uv nail lamp does expose us to UV radiation, it’s not as strong or for as long as the UV rays we get from the sun. Additionally, applying sunscreen before a manicure can help limit our exposure to UV rays.

Another way to minimize your risk is by switching from UV nail lamps to LED ones. These emit a narrower spectrum of wavelengths, and while they can still cure gel polish, it takes much less time. Most LED lamps can cure a single coat of polish in 30-60 seconds, or flash cure a design in 15 seconds.

While both types of nail lamps can be used with regular polish, LED and UV lamps aren’t interchangeable, as they can only cure the types of gel polish that are compatible with them. It will usually say on the bottle of the gel polish which type of nail lamp it is designed to be cured under. In addition, some gel nail polishes are formulated to be used with only one type of lamp, so it’s important to check the label before using any products that don’t list your specific lamp as an approved curing option. This will ensure that you’re getting the best results and minimizing your risk.