Nail salon dryers that use ultraviolet (UV) light to speed up the drying and hardening of nail polishes and gels are associated with more UV-A radiation emitted, but multiple visits to the manicurist would be necessary in order for possible DNA damage to occur.

Therefore, the risk of developing skin cancer from these visits is small.

Nail salon dryers emit predominantly UV-A light – the same type used in tanning salon beds – which dry nail polish quickly and harden gel manicures. The chemical gel that is painted on the nails in layers is cured under ultraviolet light after every coat, which helps to create a shiny, long-lasting effect.

A new study conducted by researchers from Georgia Regents University in Augusta analyzed a random sampling of 17 different UV lamps used in nail salons to identify the amount of ultraviolet radiation that is emitted.

Lead author Dr. Lyndsay R. Shipp, a postgraduate resident at the university’s Medical College of Georgia, and colleagues found a wide range in how much UV light comes out of these lamps.

“There is a theoretical risk, but it’s very low,” Shipp said in a statement.

UV lamps in nail salons that are equipped with higher-wattage bulbs emit the most amount of UV radiation. However, tt would prove difficult for a client to identify the amount of wattage in the lamps before using the machine.

The findings of the study are published as a research letter in the journal JAMA Dermatology.