Study Finds Gel Manicures Can Harm More Than Just Your Nails

研究发现，美甲危害的不仅仅是你的指甲

The safety of gel manicures – a treatment that requires the use of a UV light machine to activate a photochemical reaction in specially formulated nail polish, according to NAILS Magazine – has been the subject of much debate in recent years. The machines make use of ultraviolet radiation in the form of UVA rays, which have been linked to premature aging and certain skin cancers like melanoma (per American Cancer Society).

近年来，凝胶美甲的安全性一直是争论的热点。根据NAILS杂志的报道，美甲时需要使用紫外线机器来激活指甲油配方中的光化学反应。这些机器利用的是UVA射线形式的紫外线辐射，而根据美国癌症协会的数据，这种辐射与过早衰老和某些皮肤癌如黑色素瘤有关。

While previous research, including a 2020 analysis published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, has indicated that gel manicures don't increase the risk of skin cancer, a new 2023 study published last week in Nature Communications suggests that the opposite is true.

虽然以前的研究，包括2020年发表在《临床和美容皮肤学杂志》上的一项分析都表明，凝胶美甲不会增加皮肤癌的风险，但上周发表在《自然通讯》上的一项2023年最新研究表明，事实恰恰相反。

Ludmil Alexandrov, an author of the study and a professor of bioengineering and cellular and molecular medicine at UC San Diego, said, "If you look at the way these devices are presented, they are marketed as safe, with nothing to be concerned about. But to the best of our knowledge, no one has actually studied these devices and how they affect human cells at the molecular and cellular levels until now," (per Science Daily).

该研究的作者、加州大学圣地亚哥分校生物工程和细胞与分子医学教授Ludmil Alexandrov说："这些设备在展示时，往往被推销为安全的，没有什么可担心的。但是据我们所知，直到现在，还没有人真正研究过这些设备，以及它们是如何在分子和细胞水平上影响人类细胞的。"

During the study, researchers examined how isolated human and murine cells fared under UV light similar to that of a nail lamp used during a gel manicure (per Science Daily). They found that after just 20 minutes under the light, between 20-30% of the cells died. What's more, following three 20-minute sessions of exposure, a whopping 65-70% of the cells were subjected to cell death. Damage to DNA and mitochondria, as a result of the light exposure, was also reported — which researchers worry may contribute to skin cancer. In fact, study author Maria Zhivagu said that these recent findings were enough to put a stop to her regular gel manicure appointments (per Phys.org). "At this point, I would recommend or advise people to just weigh the risk. Understand what this is doing. There is damage at the DNA level. We don't know if it's carcinogenic," she said, according to NBC News.

在这项研究中，研究人员研究了分离的人类和小鼠细胞在紫外线下的表现，这种紫外线与美甲时使用的美甲灯类似(根据科学日报)。他们发现，在光照下仅仅20分钟后，就有20-30%的细胞死亡。更重要的是，在三次20分钟的照射后，高达65-70%的细胞死亡。此外，研究人员还报告了光照对DNA和线粒体的损伤——研究人员担心这可能会导致皮肤癌。事实上，研究作者玛丽亚·日瓦古说，最近的这些发现足以让她停止定期的美甲预约。"在这一点上，我建议人们权衡风险。了解美甲时正在发生什么。这种损害是DNA层面的。我们目前不知道它是否致癌。"她说，据NBC新闻报道。

While more research is needed to understand whether or not gel nail lamps increase the risk of skin cancer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration urges people who make use of UV nail lamps to limit their exposure to 10-minute intervals and apply SPF 20 minutes before use.

虽然还需要更多的研究来了解美甲灯是否会增加患皮肤癌的风险，但美国食品和药物管理局(fda)敦促使用紫外线美甲灯的人，将时间限制在10分钟以内，并在使用前20分钟涂抹防晒霜。