Gel Manicures and UV Lamps: Dermatologists' Advice on Protecting Skin and Nails
Dermatologists cited by Health.com advise against making gel manicures too frequent a habit, as nail curing lamps emit UV radiation. The risk can be reduced with sunscreen, special gloves and breaks between procedures.
Gel manicures are popular because they last longer than ordinary nail polish and harden quickly. But, as dermatologists explain on the website Health.com, this beauty routine has a downside: the lamps used in nail salons emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which reaches the skin of the hands. Specialists recommend not turning gel manicures into an overly frequent everyday habit.
Why regularity matters
Nail curing lamps emit the same kind of radiation we receive from the sun and tanning beds. Prolonged UV exposure contributes to premature skin ageing and raises the risk of skin cancer. One dermatologist notes that the UV dose accumulated over a lifetime is among the most important risk factors for non-melanoma skin cancer.
The dose from a single session is not large enough to cause alarm: hands remain under the lamp for only a few minutes, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classes these devices as low-risk. Still, if manicures are done repeatedly over many years, the exposure accumulates.
An LED lamp also does not guarantee the absence of UV, since its light spectrum may include UVA or UVB. In addition, some salons use UV lamps to cure the top layer of dip-powder manicures or certain regular polish coatings.
How to reduce the harm
- Before the procedure, apply a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30–50 to the hands, covering the backs of the hands and the fingers thoroughly.
- For regular manicures, use gloves with UPF 50 protection that leave the fingertips exposed.
- After removing the coating, let nails rest for about one to two weeks.
Sunscreen does not make a UV lamp completely harmless, but it lowers the amount of radiation the skin receives.
Who should be careful
People with pronounced sensitivity to UV radiation should think twice about gel manicures. Sensitivity can be increased by certain antibiotics, oral contraceptives, some cholesterol-lowering drugs, as well as some cosmetics, skin-care products and fragrances. In such cases it is worth checking whether the procedure is suitable before having it.
Beyond UV exposure, regular procedures and aggressive removal of the coating can make nails brittle, peeling and prone to cracking.
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