If you’re like me, then you love a freshly painted pair of nails right out of the salon. Or if you’re even more like me you’ve purchased your very own UV nail lamp and nail polish off the internet and do your nails yourself. However, I’ve always wondered exactly what the ultraviolet (UV) light could be doing to the delicate skin on my hands.

There have been countless studies done over the years to determine if using these UV nail lamps are a risk for the development of skin cancer or other issues. However, no one has been able to definitively say if they are dangerous or if they aren’t.

I’ve been going to nail salons and doing my own at-home manicures for years and have never really noticed any signs of anything negative about using the UV nail lamps. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t something happening within the skin that I just can’t see.

​Are UV Nail Lamps Safe?

There was a study that was done to see if exposure to UV nail lamps caused any significant damage or skin-related cancer in mouse and human cells. They did this in sessions of two, with an hour in between each session.

The first study indicated that 20-30% of the cells died, and then later they did another study where they also used mouse and human cells and placed them under UV lamps for even longer for 3 days in a row.

70% of those cells died and signs of damage to DNA were present and mutations that cause skin cancer were also discovered. However, even with those results the researchers still can’t make a decision to say yes, it’s dangerous you shouldn’t use these UV nail lamps.

​Do The Risks Really Pose A Threat?

Now, I would understand if you were leaving your hands under the UV nail lamps for hours upon hours, that could cause a lot of problems and even cause some form of skin damage or even cancer.

However, if you’re just leaving your hands to be exposed to the ultraviolet light for 60 seconds to 120 seconds, I honestly think the risk is so miniscule that you shouldn’t need to be too concerned. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t throw caution out the window.

How To Protect Your Hand While Exposing Them To UV Light

If you’re still really worried about the risks of using UV nail lamps to dry your nails while you’re having a manicure, then you should know there are some ways to help reduce the risks if you do decide to get your nails done.

For one, It’s been recommended to apply a significant amount of sunscreen to both of your hands right before you plan to go to the salon or when you decide to give yourself an at home manicure.

​Sunscreen Protection Or Glove Protection?

Sunscreen will protect your skin from the ultraviolet light that the UV nail lamps emit, it’s just like putting on sunscreen to protect you from the sun's ultraviolet rays. It will protect your skin and reduce the risk of developing skin cancer.

If that’s not enough of a precautionary measure for you, then you could do this other solution to protect your hands. It might seem a little different or like something not very many people would do, however, you can simply wear fingerless UPF gloves.

The gloves will absolutely protect your hands from the UV light and only your nails will be exposed. And if I’m being perfectly honest I think this is the best solution there is. Because if the UV light can’t penetrate your skin then how can it hurt you, right?

​In Summary

We all love a good manicure or even a pedicure every once in a while, or if you’re like me, about every 2-½-3 weeks. I know that’s a lot of manicure time spent using UV lamps. But I always either use sunscreen or fingerless gloves. And you should too, it’s okay to get your nails done. Just don’t spend hours under the UV lamps and you should be just fine.