UV lamps used in manicures could increase risk of skin cancer, doctors warn

Ultra-violet lamps used during manicures could increase the risk of skin cancer, doctors at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin have warned.

The risk particularly applies to transplant recipients and other patients with compromised immune systems, they say.

Their concerns are relayed in a study published in The Lancet of a patient who attended a dermatology outpatient clinic at the hospital after repeated bouts of skin cancer.

Doctors treating the 45-year-old woman noted numerous patches of dry, sun-damaged skin on the woman’s hands, along with two skin grafts.

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The woman had undergone two kidney transplants, was on immunosuppressive drugs and had been treated twice for skin cancer on her hands.

The repeated development of malignancies and other skin lesions only on her hand caused her medical team to review her case more circumspectly, with the absence of significant photo-damage in other sun-exposed areas arousing their suspicions further.

The patient said she took precautions to protect against the sun since her first transplant at age 17, by avoiding exposure, using sunscreen and wearing protective clothing.

“However, upon closer questioning, she also said that, for more than 20 years, she had regular, monthly manicures which used unregulated ultra-violet radiation A (UVA) emitting lamps to set the nail polish.”

The doctors say that while it was difficult to conclude that this was the sole driver of her cancers, the absence of pre-cancerous lesions or non-melanoma skin cancer on the rest of her body suggested it might have been a “significant contributor”.

UV light-emitting machines are used to dry gel manicures, which last longer than regular nail polish.

The study authors suggest patients should specifically ask for the use of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps during manicures in order to reduce their cumulative UVA exposure.

Patients attending transplant and dermatology clinics should be specifically asked about their exposure to UVA lamps so they can be informed about the risk of cancer and the need to protect their skin, they add.

Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in Ireland, with about 10,000 diagnoses each year. The main risk factor is UV light from sunlight. It seldom spreads to other parts of the body and is treated by removing the affected parts of the skin.

A further 1,000 cases of melanoma, which can spread if left untreated, are diagnosed each year.

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