Julia Bussa’s nails dry under a UV lamp, used in most nail salons. Picture: Liam Kidston
THE Cancer Council has urged women to slop on sunscreen before their manicure appointments as concerns rise over the carcinogenic effects of ultraviolet nail lamps.
Found in almost every nail salon in Queensland, the small, innocuous-looking UV lamp is used to dry and cure a client’s nail polish quickly.
According to Cancer Council Queensland spokeswoman Katie Clift, salon customers should be aware of the skin cancer threat.
“Exposing any part of the body to additional artificial sources of UV radiation is likely to add to the risk of skin cancer, particularly if that area of skin has already received excessive UV exposure such as sunburn,” Ms Clift said.
“To lower this risk, manicure clients should always wear sunscreen.”
Ms Clift said studies revealed frequent use of “UV nail lamps could increase a person’s risk” of developing malignant melanomas.
Springwood skin cancer clinic doctor Dora Lee said women should also regularly check the skin beneath their nails – often hidden by polish or artificial nails.
“Melanoma of the nail is an aggressive form of melanoma and often marks like black spots under their nail are mistaken for a blood blister,” Dr Lee said. “It isn’t common but if people are diagnosed with a melanoma there is the potential for them to lose a nail or finger.”
Julia Bussa, 18, from Aspley regularly visits nail salons and never thought to check for signs of cancer.
“Everyone knows about the effects of UV radiation on skin but I didn’t realise that the nail lamps I use could be bad for me,” Ms Bussa said.
“I was thinking about purchasing my own UV nail lamp but I won’t now that I know the risks.”
About 136,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in Queensland each year – more than 3400 are melanomas.
Source: Courier Mail