So who knew?                                                                    

Not long ago we reported that the drying lights in the nail salon were safe. Well it seems that caution is still advisable. (Really, isn't it always.) There appears to be an important distinction between conventional nail lacquer and gel manicures. Who knew that there was a difference in the light used to cure a gel manicure and those used to dry your basic mani!? It turns out that the gel process requires UV light and the regular mani dryers use LED lights. So, the gel manicure poses a potential risk. -- Apparently, despite earlier reports, the jury is still out on the safety of UV lamps used in salons. Here's the story as reported today from the AAD:

Dermatologist Warns Gel Manicure Is A Cancer Risk.
The Washington Times (3/7, Chasmar) reports Dr. Chris Adigun, a dermatologist at the New York University School of Medicine, in a recent article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, warned that "a rising fad of replacing traditional nail polish with quick-hardening gel may result in skin cancer, " due to the UV light needed to cure the gel. Dr. Adigun advised, "Moderation is the key when it comes to gel manicures," adding that he "advocates wearing hand sunscreen for women who get frequent gel manicures."

The New York Post (3/7, Stretten, Sutherland, Fagen) reports, "Another concern is that no one knows what is the proper dose of these harmful rays because the UV lamps are not regulated." Research published in JAMA Dermatology in 2009 said that "two middle-aged women, who did not have a history of skin cancer, developed tumors on their hands following exposure to UV nail light." In contrast, the "LED lamps are used in drying regular nail polish and don't pose a health risk because they don't emit ultraviolet radiation."