Ci could be one correlation between the use of an ultraviolet lamp for gel manicures and the appearance of subungual melanoma. This is supported by an analysis conducted by the University of California at Davis which would have highlighted this correlation. At the moment, however, there are still few studies, so the conditional is a must and it is above all essential to underline that these results refer only to ultraviolet lamps, not to LED onesas the expert specifies.
Manicure lamps and melanoma: what are the links?
The doubt that emerged on social media is legitimate. Is there a correlation between the lamps used to dry gel manicures and subungual melanoma? The answer is affirmative but clarifications need to be made, the dispute on the topic is current.
«True, there is a correlation: regarding data on melanoma, we can say that there is evidence related to the use of manicure lamps. There is the possibility that over time the lamps can lead to the formation of melanomason the other hand, nail cancer is a fairly rare form, but also other types of cancer” explains the Dr. Gianluca Mio, dermatologist at Primus Forlì Medical Center.
The question emerged following the results published in the scientific journal Nature Communication of a study conducted by UC Davis, the University of California at Davis: «The researchers took types of murine (i.e. mouse) treatment cultures and exposed them to acute radiation, i.e. for 20 minutes of exposure interspersed with 1 hour break, for daily sessions. What emerged is that 20-30% of the cells taken into consideration by the study underwent cell death due to radiation, the rest of the cells presented mutations at the mitochondrial level. The mutations carry an increased carcinogenic risk. On the one hand, therefore, yesone has direct damage to the cells, on the other hand damage to the mutation repair systems, which is carried out by the mitochondria» explains the expert.
Ultraviolet lamps for manicures are under attack
The manicure lamps under scrutiny, and also under accusation, are those using ultraviolet UV rays not so much the LED ones. Why? «These act with wavelengths ranging from 340 to 390 nanometers. Not by chance they are comparable to the wavelengths of old lamps and sunbeds so dear in the 90s and today banned in some countries and forbidden to minors. It has been shown that these wavelengths are dangerous for health “.
While today sunbeds have been modified and work on lower wavelengths thus becoming less aggressive, the same cannot be said for lamps used for manicure that «maintain the old “critical” wavelengths of the old “banned” solar lamps. Over the years we will therefore see the results of using these particular lamps for manicure, at the moment in fact they have been used for too little time to initiate specific studies and measures».
Sunscreens SPF30 and 50 to protect hands and nails
Given that at the moment there are too few studies and that the most important one was done in the laboratory, and that if it is true that episodes of subungual melanoma have occurred it is equally true that they are sporadic, we can still take action: « A preventive action can be to reduce the frequency of the manicure itself, especially if there is already a predisposition due to some skin problems such as psoriasis which weakens the nails and which worsens leading to infections such as onychomycosis and nail dystrophies caused by continuous manicures” explains Doctor Mio who continues: «In general, you should use i sunscreen before treatment.
In fact, SPFs work by protecting from all ultraviolet, UVA and UVB rays, including those from manicure lamps.» concludes the doctor.
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