New study highlights importance of buying reputable UV nail lamps

A new study into the safety of UV nail lamps has found “notable differences” in the levels of harmful UVA rays emitted, underlining the importance of buying lamps from reliable, official sources.

The report, published by a team of dermatology academics from Georgia Regents University in Augusta in the US and led by Dr Lyndsay Shipp, concluded that nail lamps pose only a small risk of skin damage.

Shipp and her team looked at the UVA emissions from 17 different nail lamps and found that in general the lamps with higher wattage put out higher levels of UVA radiation, which is needed to damage the DNA in skin tissue. This damage can then increase the risk of photoageing of skin cancer.

However, the study noted that even using higher wattage lamps, the brief exposure during a manicure would require multiple visits for potential DNA damage.

“Our data suggests that, even with numerous exposures, the risk of skin cancer remains small,” said Shipp. “That said, we concur with previous authors in recommending use of sunscreens or UVA protective gloves to limit the risk of skin cancer and photoageing.”

Previous studies the have indicated a link between UV nail lamps and skin cancer were flawed, Shipp’s team suggests, as they lacked a sampling of lights from salons.