How UV Lights Dry Nails

The UV light used to apply gel nails has been described as a mini tanning bed for your hands. The reality may be a bit less harsh given the bad rap tanning beds have received in recent years, but it's still a sobering thought. On the one hand (no pun intended), you slather on sunscreen to avoid damaging ultraviolet rays, and on the other, you pay good money (up to twice as much as a conventional manicure) to bathe your digits in ultraviolet light for the privilege of drying your nail polish faster. Sure, gel nail polish looks better longer than regular nail polish, but is the convenience worth the risk?

Let's start by taking a look at how a UV gel manicure works: Having gel nail polish applied is actually a multi-step process. A special nail solution is applied to each natural or synthetic nail in as many as four to five coats. After each coat is added, the nails are briefly exposed to a UV-A light inside a small box. The nails cure and dry quickly, but the light does more than illuminate the nail area. It also illuminates the delicate skin on the back of the hand. There is growing concern among medical professionals that increased UV exposure from nail lights poses a skin cancer risk. This is a hot topic we'll discuss in greater detail in just a minute.

Gel nail polish is also called soak-off polish. That's because it can be very difficult to remove. Getting rid of the polish requires a long soak in an acetone mixture -- and the possible application of a number of scraping tools that bear a striking resemblance to torture devices used in past centuries. If this sounds time consuming, uncomfortable and potentially damaging to your nails, it is.

Being forewarned will help you make a measured choice when it comes to deciding what type of manicure works best for you. If your greatest concern is the cost, though, DIY gel polish kits and lamps are available for home manicures through most nail product retailers. The initial expense may be a bit steep (about $75), but you'll save money over time compared to the cost of multiple salon manicures.

One of the biggest concerns regarding gel nail treatments involves the UV-A lamps used to set or cure the gel polish. The fear here is that exposure to even small amounts of UV light on a regular basis may cause skin cancer. UV-A light penetrates deep into the skin. UV nail lights and tanning beds actually use the same technology. Proponents argue that the nail curing process requires relatively little time under UV light as opposed to, say, getting a whole body tan for your next vacation. It takes about five minutes of UV light exposure to cure a gel nail manicure. That's still enough time to cause some regular UV gel nail customers to develop age spots on their hands, a preliminary sign of UV skin damage.

In 2009, a report in the Archives of Dermatology voiced concerns that increased UV-A exposure caused by nail curing lights may contribute to photoaging and an increased skin cancer risk. Research into how much of a risk these lights actually pose is ongoing.

That's not the only potential problem with gel nails, either. The methyl acrylate used in many gel preparations can cause allergic reactions like contact dermatitis in some people, and gel formulas often use butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA), an ingredient that has been linked to cancer in its own right.

Don't panic yet, though. You know there's some potential danger in sun exposure, but that doesn't keep you from going outdoors during the day. If you think having a long lasting manicure is worth a little discomfort and possibly some risk, give gel nails a try -- but take precautions. Apply a sunscreen product to your hands that has an SPF 30 rating or better before having (or giving yourself) a gel nail manicure. If you treat yourself to manicures often, you might also want to wear cotton gloves (with the tips cut off to expose your nails) as an added precaution.