The scientists also compared the risk of dryers with that of tanning machines, the use of which is carcinogenic.
Researchers at the University of California found that the use of dryers of nail varnish (also known as catalysts) with ultraviolet (UV) light causes cell death and DNA mutations that can cause cancer, according to the Europa Press agency.
The use of these devices by manicurists is very common and devices generally use a particular spectrum of UV light, 340 to 395nm (wavelength) to dry the chemicals used in manicure with gel polish.
The study, published on Tuesday in the scientific journal Nature Communicationsshowed that the use of UV-emitting dryers led to “20% to 30% of cell death in a 20 minute session” and that “three consecutive exposures of 20 minutes caused the death of between 65% to 70% of the exposed cells”. That is, some DNA damage are not repaired over timewhich leads to mutations.
“These devices are marketed as safe (…). But so far, as far as we know, no one has studied them or how they affect human cells at a molecular and cellular”, warned one of the authors of the study, Ludmil Alexandrovprofessor of bioengineering and cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California San Diego.
The scientists also compared the risk of dryers with that of tanning (used in solariums) that emit ultraviolet radiation and whose use, it has been scientifically demonstrated, is carcinogenic.
The study also made it possible to observe that exposure to ultraviolet light also caused damage to the mitochondria (part of the cell important for breathing and energy exchanges) and in the DNA of the cells and “caused mutations with patterns that can be seen in the skin cancer”.
The researchers warn, however, that although the results show the adverse effects repeated use of the devices on human cells, an epidemiological study of long term to eventually conclude that this increases the risk of skin cancer.
Maria Zhivagui, another of the study’s authors and a fan of that type of manicure, said she won’t wait. In view of the results of the investigation, which she found alarming, she decided to stop using the technique on your nails.
