Can manicures and pedicures done with polishes that require UV light curing be harmful? This question is bothering some customers – not only at Easy Nails salons. Since there is information in the media and press that can be misleading, we explain how it really is and whether curing nail polishes with ultraviolet light can be dangerous.
UV-emitting lamps are in common use in beauty salons. They are also one of the indispensable tools of hybrid manicure and pedicure specialists offering their services on a walk-in basis. Thus, it can be said that in Poland alone, UV lamps for curing nail polish are used by the thousands and have been for many years. So if the UV radiation that these devices emit could cause harm, we would already know for sure. This would be indicated by statistics and the increased incidence of skin disorders among customers of beauty salons undergoing manicure and pedicure treatments with ultraviolet-cured nail polish.
However, this is not the case – fortunately.
So you can breathe a sigh of relief and continue to indulge in the pleasure of painting your nails with hybrid nail polish!
UV nail lamps – when are they safe?
Lamps used for curing nail polish are safe – when they are provided with a certificate confirming that they have passed technical tests. This is because on this basis, the relevant institutions allowed the introduction of a particular lamp to the market and allowed it to be sold. This document is at the same time a guarantee that the lamp emits UV light within the range that is safe for us – provided, of course, that it is used in accordance with the instructions of the equipment manufacturer.
So if you are plagued by any concerns about whether the UV lamps used by a beautician when finishing a manicure and pedicure with hybrid varnish are safe, then ask to see the certificate for the device. Confirmation is the safety symbol – this is the characteristic large letter B, well known from other devices, placed in a triangle, one angle of which is directed downwards. This stamp should be pasted on the housing of the lamp or built into its structure.
Can UV light for curing varnish cause harm?
UV radiation – regardless of its source – can be a blessing or a curse for our skin. It all depends on the dose and time of exposure. After all, ultraviolet rays are absolutely essential for the production of natural vitamin D in the skin, but they also, when dosed in excess or for too long, cause photoaging of the skin and contribute to the formation of many free radicals. These molecules behave as if they are struggling with chemical hyperactivity – looking for an electron to pair on the last electron shell, they move chaotically in all directions and hit the structures they encounter, damaging them. When they hit DNA, they can lead to changes in its structure, resulting in health problems.
However, since both the time of exposure to UV radiation and the intensity of its stream emitted from the lamp for curing nails one color or French manicure are small, so these devices, as long as we use them as intended, are safe.
We probably don’t need to add (but we will) that in our Easy Nails salons in Warsaw and Wroclaw, we use only lamps equipped with a safety certificate for curing hybrid varnish.
