Study Suggests UV Nail Lamps Safe, After All

And they’re safe … Those widely used UV nail lamps likely don’t cause skin cancer, according to a new study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Some earlier evidence suggested that these lamps may, in fact, increase skin cancer risk.

In the new study, researchers measured radiation from a 10-minute session under a typical nail lamps, and used these measurements to calculate nail lamps’ “carcinogenic effectiveness.”

The study looked at three models of UV nail lamps similar to about 90% of the hundreds of such products available for salon and home use.

• Device A, with four 9-watt UV fluorescent bulbs.
• Device B, with one 9-watt UV fluorescent bulb.
• Device C, with six 1-watt LED lights.

They compared the cancer-causing potential of each device to a course of treatment with the FDA-approved UV phototherapy devices.

“Although some sources of UVA and UVB contribute to the development of keratinocyte, UV nail lamps do not appear to significantly increase the lifetime risk of KC,” the study authors conclude. “Dermatologists and primary care physicians may reassure patients regarding the safety of these devices.”