For the past few years, gel nail manicures have been trending, and people are loving them. Every day when you open social media, you’ll surely come across at least one post regarding gel nails.
They look wonderful and make our hands pretty as well. However, a recent study has revealed that it is harmful to our nails and our health.
Before we dive into the revelations of the study, let’s take a look at what gel nails are.
Pretty-Pretty Gel Nails
A gel manicure is a service where nail salons use gel-based polish on our nails and in order to dry them, we have to expose them to UV or LED light. The best thing about these nail polishes is that they last for a quite long time.
Regular nail polish may chip in a week, but gel nails remain chip-free for about a month. Unlike the regular nail polishes that can be removed at home using acetone, for the removal of gel nails, you have to visit the nail salon.
Gel nail paints are long-lasting, and shinier, and make our nails sturdy.
What Did The Study Reveal?
If you are a gel nail lover, this piece of information is just for you.
According to the study titled “DNA Damage and Somatic Mutations in Mammalian Cells After Irradiation With a Nail Polish Dryer”, the UV rays from the nail dryers, used after the application of gel nails, can cause damage to your DNA.
Also, those who get gel manicures on a regular basis must note that the study revealed that long-term use can increase the risk of developing skin cancer.
Also Read: Here Is Why Men Are Painting Their Nails Across The World
How Harmful Are Gel Nails?
To dry gel polish, UV light or LED light is a must. However, the UV light-emitting device used for the purpose of drying gel nail polish can lead to cell death and cancer-causing mutations in our cells.
The study revealed that if we expose our nails to UV light for 20 minutes, 20 to 30% of the cells die. Hence, if you go for three nail sessions, about 60 to 70% of the cell dies. It could also cause mitochondrial and DNA damage that may survive and result in “mutations with patterns that can be observed in skin cancer in humans”.
The author of the study and experts like Ludmil Alexandrov, Bioengineering, Cellular, & Molecular Medicine Professor at UC San Diego said, “If you look at the way these devices are presented, they are marketed as safe, with nothing to be concerned about. But to the best of our knowledge, no one has actually studied these devices and how they affect human cells at the molecular and cellular levels until now.”
This news is insightful for those who are crazy about gel nail manicures. Every good thing has a flip side to it and so do the gel nails. Experts suggest consulting a dermatologist and applying vitamin C on the hands before the nail appointments so that the damage caused remains next to zero.
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: The Quint, Seventeen, CNN
Find the blogger: Palak Dogra
This post is tagged under: gel nails, gel nail manicure, manicure, gel polish, gel nail polish, nail extensions, UV light, skin cancer
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