UV manicure lights should be used as little as possible because of the risk they could cause skin cancer, Dutch cancer charity KWF Kankerbestrijding has told RTL Nieuws.

The recommendation follows US research which indicates use of the dryers in gel nail application can lead to cancer-causing mutations in human cells. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications last month.

More research is needed but it is important to make sure users are aware of the risks, the KWF said. ‘If you want to limit your risk of cancer, then it is better to limit use of these machines or not to use them at all.’

The researchers exposed cells from humans and mice to UV light and found that a 20-minute session led to 20% to 30% of cells dying. Three consecutive 20-minute exposures made 65% to 70% of the exposed cells die and the remaining ones had dna mutations that have been observed in skin cancer in humans.

The research does have limitations, given it was conducted in a petri dish and that the exposure was long, but the KWF said it does make the risks clear.

‘More research is needed to find out what the risk of using these these machines is, and if you can use UV dryers safely if it is only a few times a year,’ a spokesman told RTL.