Many people regularly paint their nails. At home or in a nail salon. Gel polish has been on the rise in recent years; a lacquer that is much less likely to damage than regular nail polish. This nail polish requires UV radiation to harden the gel from a nail dryer. Does that lead to an increased risk of cancer?
American researchers published in January in Nature Communications a study in which they examined the effect of nail dryers on skin cells. They exposed two different types of human skin cells and mouse skin cells to UV light with the same spectrum as in nail dryers.
People who have gel polish put their hands in the nail dryer varying from three to thirty minutes per hand. Some paint their hands every week, others only go a few times a year.
Cells clean up damage
The researchers saw that one twenty-minute session caused between 20 and 30 percent of the cells to die. Exposure on three consecutive days led to 65 to 70 percent cell death in the study. In addition, the UV light caused damage to the DNA and mitochondria. “We knew that UVA can cause damage, but from light of this wavelength [340-395nm] we always thought it wouldn’t be too bad,” says molecular biologist Richarda de Voer of Radboud university medical center.
Cells clean up DNA damage all day long, it only becomes dangerous when there is so much damage that they can no longer repair it, then a tumor can arise. That is why the researchers also looked at permanent DNA damage. Part of the damage turned out to be irreparable and this led to mutations. De Voer: “I think the strength of this study is that the researchers show in the last part of the study that the damage found corresponds to the type of damage found in some skin cancers.”
This study does not yet prove that nail dryers cause cancer, emphasizes De Voer. Cells in a laboratory can behave differently than in a body. According to her, the model used is a good predictor of mutagenicity. “It is a widely used model . In lung tumors, for example, we see mutations that correspond to mutations that arise in cell research after exposure to substances from tobacco smoke.”
Otherwise let it dry
In their study, the researchers argue for epidemiological research to provide more clarity. Apart from a few case studies, there is little research to be found. Also in the Netherlands, dermatologists have not yet made a link between skin cancers around the nails and gel polish, says Yannick Elshot of the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek. He also calls for an epidemiological study. “The long-term effects are also important in this. Someone who does this only a few times a year but for many years in a row can still be at high risk. DNA damage can build up so that you can develop skin cancer later in life. This can be done by the sun, but perhaps also by nail dryers.”
Can gel polish lovers also dry their nails differently than with a UV lamp? Only if you have a lot of patience, says Katja Loos, professor of macromolecular chemistry at the University of Groningen. Gel polish consists of oligomers. By shining UV light on the gel, photopolymerization occurs and polymers are formed. This creates a stable, hard layer. You can compare the process with the reaction that takes place when you get a filling at the dentist.” You can also achieve that with normal light, but then you walk around with wet nails for a long time, Loos suspects.
The results of an epidemiological study may be years away. Elshot: “Until we are sure, people have to make their own assessment: are beautiful nails worth it to develop skin cancer in ten years’ time, which means that a piece of the finger has to be amputated, or worse?”