Nail polish drying with ultraviolet light may damage human cells

UV nail polish drying devices used to cure gel manicures may pose more of a public health concern than previously thought, according to a study published in Nature Communications. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, studied these UV-emitting devices and found that their use can cause cell death and cancer-causing mutations in human cells.

The devices, which are common fixtures in nail salons, typically use a specific spectrum of UV light (340-395 nanometers) to cure the chemicals used in gel manicures. Studies have shown that the spectrum of UV light used by tanning beds (280-400 nanometers) is carcinogenic, but the spectrum used in nail dryers has not been studied in depth.

This time, the researchers used three different cell lines - adult epidermal keratinocytes, human foreskin fibroblasts and mouse embryonic fibroblasts. The results showed that using this UV-emitting device for 20 minutes only once will cause 20% to 30% of the exposed cells to die, while three consecutive 20-minute uses will cause 65% to 70% of the exposed cells to die. Exposure to UV light also causes mitochondrial and DNA damage in the remaining cells and leads to mutations, the pattern of which can be observed in human skin cancer.

In summary, cell death, damage and DNA mutations were observed in both cases, as well as elevated levels of reactive oxygen molecules (known to cause DNA damage and mutations) and mitochondrial dysfunction in cells. Genomic analysis showed higher levels of somatic mutations in irradiated cells, a mutation pattern that is commonly found in melanoma patients. The researchers warn that long-term use of these nail polish dryers could be harmful to human cells.

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