For more than a decade, researchers have suspected that the ultraviolet nail dryers used for gel manicures might be associated with a higher risk of skin cancer if they are used routinely. The dryers expose people to ultraviolet A radiation, which is known to cause skin cancer from other sources, such as sun exposure and tanning beds.
"At this point, I would recommend or advise people to just weigh the risk," said one of the new study’s authors, Maria Zhivagui, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego."Understand what this is doing. There is damage at the DNA level. We don’t know if it’s carcinogenic." Even so, Curtis and Zhivagui said that in their own lives, they don't ever get manicures that require UV nail dryers.
Studies haven’t determined yet whether there’s a safe level of UVA exposure in the context of manicures or exactly how much might pose a health risk.has suggested that setting acrylic nails with UV light every three weeks for a year could produce more intense UVA radiation than sunlight during that time.
Most nail technicians don’t use UV dryers anymore. We all use LED now.