UV Nail Lamps: Are They Safe?

With the right bulbs, most users will be safe, but special care is needed for those taking certain drugs.

Reports of nonmelanoma skin cancers occurring on the dorsal hands of people who had used ultraviolet light sources for application of artificial nails has prompted concern about the carcinogenic effects of these devices. To address the safety of the nail-curing units, investigators conducted a rigorous evaluation of six different nail lamps: three fluorescent ultraviolet A (UVA) sources and three LED-based units. Spectroradiometric measurements were performed at 1-nm intervals, from 200 nm to 800 nm. Measurements were obtained at 1-cm and 20-cm distances from the devices (comparable to expected exposures of the hands and face, respectively). The peak emissions from all light sources were in the UVA range; none emitted in the UVC range.

Even …

Reviewing Author

Craig A. Elmets, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board Astellas Pharmaceuticals

EquityVaxin

Grant / Research support NIH; NIH/NCI; Veteran’s Administration; Ferndale Laboratories; Kyowa Hakko Kirin Pharma, Inc.

Editorial boards Cancer Prevention Research; Photodermatology, Photoimmunology, & Photomedicine; UpToDate; eMedicine; Journal of Dermatological Sciences; JAMA Dermatology

Leadership positions in professional societies American Academy of Dermatology (Vice Chair, Committee on Science and Research); Photomedicine Society (Board of Directors)