Coloring “gel nails”, baking with UV light, is it true that it causes skin cancer?

paint “gel nails” The beauty trend of all women that combines nail polish color with a soft gel (Soak off Gel) used in nail coating. and must use a nail dryer to dry the gel polish Lasts about 1 month on average, it cannot be washed off with a general nail polish remover. But more information was shared. Gel nail polish, UV light, cause cancer

Having been skeptical of this issue for a long time, recently research has come out to provide clearer evidence. that the use of the machineuv light curingFor the gel polish on the nails. It can be dangerous, stating that UV (or ultraviolet) light will cause cell death. and cause mutations that lead to diseaseskin cancercan

by “Jet Ajarn” Dr. Jetsada Denduangboribhand Lecturer, Department of Biology Faculty of Science Chulalongkorn University raised the results of the research of Maria Zhivagui and colleagues from the University of California, San Diego (University of California, San Diego), USA. Got an idea to study this. While he was studying for a Ph.D. and goes hand in hand with his penchant for colouring “gel nails” It has been 2-3 years since it lasted longer.nail polishBut when she finished her research and found that just 20 minutes of UV light exposure can cause cell death and mutation, she said she was so shocked that she stopped making gel nail polish.

Professor Ludmil Alexandrov, who oversaw the research, said this was the first serious study. about the effect of the UV nail dryer on human cells, and said he decided to carry out this research. After seeing the news, there was a teenage beauty pageant who was diagnosed with the disease.skin cancerA rare type, on your fingers So, according to the previous research study that reported cases of people doing gel nail polish very often, such as those in beauty pageants and people who love beauty Then it was a rare type of cancer of the skin on the fingers, indicating a relationship between nail polish and this cancer. But no one has ever done deep research at the cellular DNA level before.

Their research has been published in the journal Nature Communication The famous issue dated January 17, 2023 mentions the use of gel nail dryer. To use projected UV light in the wavelength range of 340-395 nm, it can destroy human cells.

In this research They used three types of cultured cells: keratinocytes; (keratinocyte Fibroblasts are the main cells found in the outer layer of the epidermis, and fibroblasts are cells in the skin. which produce collagen and elastin proteins) from humans and fibroblasts from mouse embryos.

by placing those cells in a petri dish and using a nail dryer Shine UV light on it Acute (acute irradiation of 9 Joules per centimeter2, J/cm2 for 20 minutes, twice a day) and chronic (chronic, three times for three consecutive days ) compared to the non-irradiated set.

The results found that one UV light exposure with a nail dryer for 20 minutes. Causes 20-30% cell death and if irradiated 3 times in a row, 65-70% of cells die. In addition, it was found that UV light also damages mitochondria. (a compound within the cell) and the surviving cell DNA It was mutated in the same way as that found in human cancer cells.

The research team therefore concluded that the results of this study provide strong evidence that UV curing with a nail dryer can cause cancer on the hand. This is similar to the problem with the use of tanning beds which have been found to increase the risk of skin cancer. But the research team also pointed out that Much more study is still needed. especially in epidemiology to confirm the risk of beingskin canceron the hands of people who regularly shine their nails like this The study may take decades to complete.

Professor Jet states that in general UV light for improving nail color. emits light at a lower power And the time was much shorter than the experiment mentioned above. If you don’t do nails with this machine often, you shouldn’t have to worry too much.

As to whether there are still concerns on page o Cancer Council Australia recommends using a broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen on the hands 20 minutes before exposure. Or use gloves with only your fingertips open. that the nail salon should provide services to customers

It is also recommended that the risk of melanoma is highest. It is still from overexposure to the sun’s UV rays. So they should protect themselves from the sun. The best ways to avoid UV rays (especially on days when UV levels reach level 3): wear clothing that covers your skin, apply sunscreen SPF 30 or higher, wear a wide-brimmed hat, go indoors, and wear sunglasses.