Most of us take extra precaution to lather up with sunscreen before we head outdoors. We make sure to not forget our hat and sunglasses on a sunny day, but who thinks about the uv dangers we could face while at the nail salon? There have been reports of people developing skin cancer on their hands from repeated use of the uv light nail lamps used to dry the polish. Per square meter of space the uv nail lamps gives out as much uv radiation as does a tanning bed. The experts say that since people didn’t know about this they are probably going to see more cases of skin cancer on the hands. The Archives of Dermatology released a study last year that found two women with skin cancer on their hands. They both  no family history of cancer and both cases were linked to use of uv nail lights. The study found that one woman had a fifteen year history of twice monthly uv nail light exposure. The other one used was exposed only eight times in a year. The beauty supply industry argues that using uv nail lights is not any different from receiving 2-3 minutes of extra sunlight a day which isn’t going to harm anyone.

I’m not sure which side is ultimately the right-side. I would think that concentrated uv light on hands in particular would increase a person’s chance of developing skin cancer. True, that overall 2-3 minutes of extra sunlight wouldn’t hurt a person who practices safe sun protection. In another example, that much more sunlight could increase the chances of skin cancer for a person who fails to take the proper precautions. There are more factors that go into why some people develop skin cancer and some don’t. I guess it’s all a matter of the factors that contribute to skin cancer; skin color, family history, hair color, etc.

What do you think? Do you believe there is any real danger in using uv nail lamps at the nail salons? Join the discussion and tell us your thoughts on our Facebook Fan Page!