Widespread UV Manicure Lamps Could Be Damaging Your Skin at a Cellular Level

UV LED nail lamps are very trendy right now, allowing people to quickly wrap up their manicures at the salon or in the comfort of their own home. But it now appears that these products can come at a potentially serious cost.

Scientists in Argentina led the study, which examined how the UV dose emitted by a modern manicure lamp affected common skin molecules. They found that just a few minutes of exposure altered these molecules in ways that could be harmful to skin. Though the long-term health effects of these devices, including their potential cancer risk, are still unclear, the researchers say more should be done to warn the public about them.

“We demonstrate that the radiation dose emitted by the nail polish dryer device during a typical gel nail manicure session effectively degrades molecules present in the skin,” the authors wrote in their paper, published earlier this year in Chemical Research in Toxicology.

These lamps are used to quickly dry regular manicures and to cure semi-permanent gel manicures. They’re commonly seen at nail salons and can also be purchased for home use. The first versions of these devices emitted higher doses of UVA radiation—the kind responsible for tans and sunburns—than today’s typical LED devices, according to study researcher María Laura Dántola. But LED lamps still emit some UVA radiation, and their health impacts on exposed skin haven’t been thoroughly studied yet, the researchers say.

Dántola and her team subjected molecules commonly seen in our skin to a standard manicure lamp, and it didn’t take long for them to see meaningful changes.

“After a four-minute exposure, the duration of a typical manicure cycle, we observed that all the compounds studied underwent modifications that led to an alteration of their biological functions,” said Dántola, a researcher at Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), in a Spanish-language statement from CONICET, translated into English using Google Translate.

An earlier study in 2023 found that manicure lamps can damage the DNA in human skin cells and cause mutations—changes that could then possibly raise the odds of cancer. A 2024 review also concluded that “prolonged and repeated exposure to UV nail lamps may pose a low risk of skin cancer.” That said, the review also noted that the overall evidence on these health risks remains weak and limited for the time being.

Still, for manicure lovers worried about their skin, there are steps you can take to mitigate any potential risks. When getting a gel manicure, for instance, you can wear gloves that only expose your fingertips. Alternately, you can apply broad-spectrum sunscreen to your hands beforehand (SPF-only products do not protect against UVA). And if you’re getting a regular manicure, you can stick to air blowers or fans to dry your hands without any UV. The study researchers also argue that more regulation is needed for UV lamp manufacturers, including labeling that explicitly offers these tips to at-home users.

“We consider it important that these devices provide information about the harmful effects that uncontrolled use can cause, and that they also recommend the implementation of preventive measures,” Dántola said. “In this way, people can decide, under their own responsibility but with information, how they want to use them.”