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Do UV Nail Lamps Emit Unsafe Levels

of Ultraviolet Light?

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DoUVNailLampsEmitUnsafeLevelsofUltravioletLight?

ThreeExpertsRebutClaimsthatUVNailLampsareUnsafeforSkin

DougSchoon,M.S.Chemistry,ChiefScientificAdvisor,CND;

PaulBryson,Ph.D.Chemistry,DirectorofR&D,OPIProducts;

JimMcConnell,BAChemistry,President,McConnellLabs

Introduction

ArecentreportincorrectlyclaimedthatUVnaillampsareasourceof"high-doseUV-A"and

alsoinaccuratelycomparedUVtanningbedswithUVnaillamps.Thereport,"Occurrenceof

NonmelanomaSkinCancersontheHandsAfterUVNailLightExposure"(MacFarlaneand

Alonso)1,overestimatedtheexposureofclientskintoUVlightemittedfromUVnaillampsand

improperlycharacterizedtheeffectoftheselampsonthehand.

Asthreeoftheleadingscientistsintheprofessionalnailindustry,weweresurprisedbythese

claims.Toverifythefacts,usinganindependentlaboratorywetestedtheleadingUVnaillamps

todeterminehowmuchUV-AandUV-Btheyemitandthencomparedthattonaturalsunlight.

Testing

Inpreparationforourstudy,wetestedmanyUVnaillampstodeterminewhichhadthehighest

UVoutputand,asexpected,foundthenaillampwiththehighestoutputwasonedesignedto

utilizefour9-wattUVbulbs.WealsodecidedtotestapopularUVnaillampdesignedtoutilize

two9-wattUVbulbs.Thepurposefortestingbothlampswastodeterminehowexposuresvary

acrosstherangeofUVnaillampswiththegoalofprovidinginformationthatwouldapplyto

themajorityofsalonsandsituations.TheselectedtwobulbUVnaillampwaschosenand

testedbecauseitisapopularbrandandrepresentativeofotherUVnaillampswithinthetwo9-

wattUVbulbcategory.Theselectedfour9-wattUVbulbnaillampwaschosenbecauseithad

thehighestmeasuredUVoutputofanyUVnaillamptested.NoattemptwasmadetotestUV

naillampsutilizingonlyoneUVbulb,sincetheoverwhelmingmajorityofUVnaillampsuse

two,threeorfourUVbulbs.TheUVnaillampsselectedfortestingarelikelyrepresentativeof

morethan90%oftheUVnaillampsusedinsalons.

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LightingScience,Inc.,ofPhoenix,AZ.,isafullyequipped,completelyindependentscientific

testinglaboratorythatspecializesinthedevelopmentandtestingofmanytypesofillumination

devices,includingthosethatemitUVlightandLightingScienceisnotinthebusinessof

manufacturingorsellingUVnaillamps.ThetwoselectedUVnaillampsweresubmittedto

LightingScienceinbrand-newcondition.HighlysensitiveUVdetectorswereplacedwhereclient

handswouldnormallyresidewhileinsideaUVnaillamp.Thesedetectorsaccuratelymeasured

theamountofUV-AandUV-BlightemittedfromeachUVnaillamp.Toensureaproper

comparison,LightingSciencealsousedthesametestequipmenttomeasuretheUV-AandUV-B

lightfoundinnaturalsunlight.Adiscussionofthesemeasurementsandresultsispresented

below.

Discussion

TheMacFarlaneandAlonsoreportmadeseveralerrorsandmisstatementsconcerningartificial

nailsproductsandhowtheyareapplied.ThemostnotableinvolvestheimproperestimationofUVexposuretotheskinbyUVnaillamps,resultinginafaultyreportconclusion.Itisincorrect

toconcludethatputtingahandintoatanningbedwithtwelve100-wattUVbulbsisthesame

asputtingthathandintoaUVnaillampwithfour9-wattbulbsbecause:1)tanningbedusers

typicallyusethesedevicesmoreoftenandformuchlongerperiodsthanseenwithnailsalon

services,2)theauthorsmistakenlyassumedthatUVbulb"wattage"isameasureofUV

exposuretotheskin,whenwattageisactuallyameasureofenergyusage,3)theauthorserred

significantlybyrelyingsolelyonUVbulbwattagetoestimatetheactualamountofUVexposure

toskin,and4)theyneglectedtoconsiderthatUVlightreflectsmanytimesinsidethetanning

bedandtheseinternalreflectionsfurtherincreaseUVexposuretoskin,againdemonstrating

thatMacFarlaneandAlonsoapproachtoestimatingUVexposuretoskinisnotvalid.Their

comparisonstoUVtanningbedssimplydoesn'tmakesenselogicallyorscientifically.

TheUVtestingperformedbyLightingScienceusedproperscientifictechniquesandequipment

tomeasurebothUV-AandUV-Bradiationintermsofmilliwattspercentimetersquared

(mW/cm2),whichisameasureofhowmuchUVlightfallsuponeachandeverysquare

centimeterofskin(about1/8squareinch).ItisimportanttounderstandthatUV-Bis

consideredbymanytobemorepotentiallydamagingtoskinthanUV-A,whichiswhynail

lampsrelyonspecialUVbulbsthatcontaininternalcoatingsdesignedtofilteroutmostofthe

UV-Blight.

ItisimportanttonotethatclientsvisitasalonforUVgelnailapplicationormaintenancetwice

eachmonthandthateachoftheirhandsareplacedintotheUVlampfortwominuteorless

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intervals,foratotalof6-10minutes.Inthisreport,wewillalwaysassumethehighestlevelof

exposure:10minutesperhand,twicepermonth.

Results

TestingbyLightingSciencesproducedthefollowinginformation:

1.UV-BoutputforbothUVnaillampswaslessthanwhatwasfoundinnaturalsunlight.

ThebulbsusedinUVNaillampscontainspecialinternalfilterswhichremovealmostallUV-B,

sothisresultisnotsurprising.ThetestresultsshowthattheamountofUV-Btowhichclient

skinisexposedisequaltowhattheycouldexpectfromspendinganextra17to26secondsin

sunlighteachdayofthetwoweeksbetweennailsalonappointments.

2.UV-AexposureismuchlowerthansuggestedbyMacFarlaneandAlonso.

TestresultsshowthatUV-Aexposureforclientskinisequivalenttospendinganextra1.5to2.7

minutesinsunlighteachdaybetweensalonvisits,dependingonthetypeofUVnaillampused.

AnaillampwithtwoUVbulbscorrespondsto1.5minutesandanaillampwithfourUVbulbs

correspondstoabout2.7minuteseachdaybetweensalonvisits.

MacFarlaneandAlonsoclaimedtofindtwocasesofskincancerthattheysuggestwerecaused

byUVnaillamps.BothoftheirpatientsliveinTexas.OnepatienthadbeenexposedtoaUV

naillamponlyeighttimesduringthesameyear(weassumeeverytwoweeksfor4months).

Duringthissameperiod,thepatientwouldhavebeenexposedtomoreUV-AandUV-Bsimply

byspending10to20minuteseatingherlunchoutdoorsinnaturalsunlightonceperweek.

Oddly,theauthorsdescribedthispatientasa48-year-oldwhitewomanwhoclaimedtohave

"moderaterecreationalUVexposure".Wefailtounderstandhow,underthecircumstances,it

couldbeconcludedthatthiscaseofnonmelanomaskincanceriscausedbytheseeight

exposurestoaUVnaillamp,especiallyinlightofthelowlevelsofUVexposureexpectedduring

thesefewvisitstoasalon.WerespectfullydisagreeandbelievetheresultsofLightSciences

independenttestingareinagreementwithourownlaboratoryfindingssupportingthesafetyof

UVnaillamps.

Conclusion

McFarlaneandAlonso'sreporthasafaultyconclusionbecauseitisbasedonincorrectassumptions.

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OurtestingshowsthatUVnaillampsemitrelativelylowlevelsofUVlightandtheseexposurelevelsareconsideredwellwithinsafelevelswhentheyareusedtoperformUV

artificialnailservicesinnailsalons.

Unfortunately,inaccurateinformationcanhavealong-termdamagingeffect,evenwhenlater

disproved.Already,someareunfairlydistortingtherisksofcanceronInternetblogs,YouTube

andothermediaoutlets,eventotheextentofofferingtheexceptionallyunwiseadviceof

forgoingtheUVcuringofproductsthatwillnotcureotherwise.Webelieveafairexamination

ofthefactssupportstheconclusionthatUVnaillampsaresafewhenusedasdirectedandbrief

clientexposuresareassafeasbriefexposurestonaturalsunlight.Clienthandsarelikelytobe

exposedtomoreUVlightwhiledrivingtheircarsthantheywillreceivefromUVgelnail

services.

NailUVlampsaresafewhenusedasdirected.Nevertheless,werecognizetheNailTechsneed

toaddressclientconcerns.Forthoseclientswhoexpressanxiety,aNailTechcanconsider

doingthefollowingtomaketheservicemorereassuring:

PlaceasmallpieceofwhiteclothoverthehandswhenplacingthemintheUVnaillamp. Ifaclientinsistsonwearingsunscreen,theyshouldstillbeaskedtowashtheirhands

beforeanysalonservicebegins.Inthiscase,theNailTechshouldtakespecialcareto

ensurenailplatesarecleansedanddehydratedinordertopreventservicebreakdown

(e.g.productlifting,discolorationormottling)fromthefilmsunscreenproductscan

leavebehind.Also,itiscrucialtokeepsunscreenlotionsandspraysawayfrom

implementsandsuppliesusedduringthenailservicetoavoidcontamination.

Reference:

1.OccurrenceofNonmelanomaSkinCancersontheHandsAfterUVNailLightExposure,

MacFarlane,D.F.,Alonso,C.A.,ArchDermatol.2009;145(4):447-449

______________________

Author'sBiographies:

DougSchoon,M.S.Chemistry,UCIrvine,isaninternationallyknownscientistandlecturerwith20yearsexperienceasascientificresearcherintheprofessionalnailindustryandhasmany

yearsexperiencedevelopingUVcurenailproducts.SchoonisauthorofNailStructureand

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ProductChemistry,1st&2ndeditions,manydozensoftrademagazinearticlesandchaptersin

thetextbookMilady'sStandardNailTechnology,aswellaschaptersoncosmeticsinavarietyof

differentreferencebooksforDermatologists.

PaulBryson,Ph.D.Chemistry,U.S.C.,DirectorofResearchandDevelopmentofOPIProducts

Inc.forthepast12years.HisexperienceincludesformulatingbothUVcuredand2-component

acrylicsystemsfornailcosmetics,dentalrestorations,andelectronic-partfabrication.Heisa

regularcontributortotrademagazines,haswrittenachapteronnailcosmeticsforamedical

dermatologytext,andhasadvisedtheCaliforniaBoardofBarberingandCosmetologyon

improvingsalonsafetyregulations.

JimMcConnell,B.A.Chemistry,UniversityofOregon,PresidentofMcConnellLabs,

manufacturersofLightEleganceNailProducts.AformulatingchemistofUVcuredsystemsfor

12yearsinthebeautyindustry.JimisacontributingauthorforMiladysStandardNail

Technologyaswellasarticlesinmanymanicuringtrademagazines.

MediaInquiries:DougSchoon,DSchoon@SchoonScientific.com