6 Ways Self-Love Will Help You Crush Your Goals
From breaking free of external validation to creating joy-based goals, discover a more sustainable and fulfilling path to success.
Are UV Nail Lamps Safe? How to Explain to Concerned Clients
Are your clients concerned about UV exposure from nail lamps? Here are some ways to ease their worries.
June 9, 2023
Nail lamps pose a negligible amount of cancer risk, according to several studies.
3 min to read
Be sure to respectfully acknowledge clients' fears about UV lamps.
Pixabay
As Americans become ever more conscious about what we’re putting in and on our bodies, concerns about UV lamps for gel manicures have been cropping up again lately—particularly, whether or not they cause cancer. This concern comes back to the general public’s consciousness every few years, circulating as misinformation takes hold.
In reality, UV gel lamps are highly unlikely to cause cancer because of the miniscule amount of actual UV exposure. That’s certainly comforting news, because who wants to give up getting gel manicures?
“Client hands are likely to be exposed to more UV while driving their cars than what they can expect to receive from UV nail services,” explains Doug Schoon, President of Schoon Scientific and Regulatory Consulting and a beauty industry scientist with over 30 years of experience in the field. “It is important to note that the back of the hand is the least UV sensitive part of the body and four times more UV resistant than the forehead or cheek, which even further increases the margin of safety.”
If you’re finding that your clients are concerned about the safety of gel lamps, here are a few ways you can ease those anxieties.
Hands receive more UV exposure from being in natural sunlight than under a nail lamp.
Pixabay
Acknowledge Their Concern
Be compassionate when a client voices their concerns. The thought that a service they enjoy getting done regularly could be cancer-causing is a scary one. Even if they’re misinformed, as their nail tech, you have the power to address and alleviate their fears.
Explain the Low Risk
Let your client know that nail lamps are even safer than being in natural sunlight due to the UV resistance of the hands, the limited amount of time the hands are under the lamp, and the low amount of UV emitted from the lamp.
Express to them that the safety of UV gel lamps has been tested and proven many times in laboratory settings, and scientists agree that the UV light from a gel lamp poses no threat to the client’s health.
Offer Reasonable Solutions
For some clients, the negligible risk won’t be enough to make them feel better. Perhaps they’ve been affected by cancer in some way, and the concern exists constantly in the back of their mind. If the facts don’t make your client feel better, offer to cover their hands with a small piece of cloth while they’re under the lamp.
If they choose to wear sunscreen on their hands, just make sure the nail plates are clean and free of anything that could cause product not to adhere.
And if all else fails, there’s always regular nail lacquer!
Making your clients feel better about UV exposure during gel nail services is all about compassion. For some, knowing the science behind it will be enough to not be worried. For other clients, it may take a bit more effort, but solutions exist for everyone. Remember that your clients trust you, and you have more capability of helping them feel comfortable than you think.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Wellness
The Invisible Hazard in Every Nail Salon and How to Fight It
From acrylic monomers to airborne bio-dust, the air inside a nail salon carries risks most professionals never see coming. Aerovex Systems reveals the source-capture and room-purification strategies that are setting a new standard for salon safety.
Sponsored by Aerovex Systems
Nail Safety Council Warns Holiday Shoppers About Toxic 'Magic' Gel Polish Removers
Products marketed as 'magic' or 'burst' gel removers may contain methylene chloride, a federally banned, highly toxic chemical.
How Beauty Pros Can Prevent Pain: Somatic Movement for Career Longevity
Working in beauty doesn’t have to hurt. Learn how Somatic Movement helps hairstylists, lash artists, and other beauty pros release tension, improve posture, and extend their careers.
Spa Day, Safe Day: Stop Fungal Infections in Their Tracks
As a spa or salon professional, your clients expect more than just beauty—they expect safety, hygiene, and peace of mind. Fungal infections like Athlete’s Foot and Nail Fungus are more common than you think, especially in environments where tools and footbaths are reused without proper sanitation. This blog covers how to stop these issues before they start, using proven infection prevention strategies for salons and spas.
Federal Research on Nail Salon Safety Concludes Due to Budget Reductions
A federal initiative aimed at studying chemical exposure in nail salons has ended due to staffing and budget changes. Here’s what the project set out to do—and what its conclusion means for salon professionals.
by Anne Moratto
Opinion: What You Need to Know About Pedicure Safety
For many people, a pedicure is a relaxing beauty ritual. But what most don’t realize is that this simple service, if done without proper hygiene and sanitation, can cause serious infections and long-term health issues.
Onycholysis: What Nail Pros Should Know About Nail Separation
Onycholysis is the separation of the nail plate from the nail bed. While it may look painful, it typically isn’t—at least not at first. But without proper care, this common nail disorder can lead to infections, deformities, and long-term damage.
What to Say--or Not Say--to Someone Grieving
Mckenzie Kool, Psychologist, MC, RPsych provides us with guidance on what may or not be helpful in speaking with someone who has suffered a significant loss.
Protecting Your Clients From Viral Infections
Clients come to you to feel their best—not leave with a viral souvenir. Warts and cold sores can spread fast in busy salons, but a few smart habits make all the difference. Let’s talk about what’s really lurking in your salon (and how to kick it to the curb).
Beauty Professionals, It's Time to Take the Green Pledge
As Earth Day approaches, The Green Beauty Community Foundation and the Green Spa Network invite beauty pros to step forward and embrace sustainability through the Green Pledge--a powerful initiative designed by and for beauty industry leaders.
How Not to Be Cynical About Valentine's Day
Don’t cancel Valentine’s Day altogether, urges Jill Palmquist. Instead, think of it as a (frilly, flowery, Champagne-bubbly) wake-up call to fall deeply in love with your own life.
Temporary Burnout or Time to Hang Up the Shears?
Life coach and Culture Ambassador of Sam Villa, Andrew Carruthers, outlines how to tell if your burnout is temporary - or if it's time to make a bigger career change.
Nail Care and Cancer Treatment: 6 Tips for a Safe Nail Service
Cancer treatment can create very specific challenges for your guest when it comes to hair, skin, and also nails. Here are some tips for working with your salon client who is going through cancer treatment to help you provide a relaxing, enjoyable, and also safe experience.
Sun Patch Protects Hands from Sun Damage
For those clients concerned about exposure from UV lamps, the Sun Patch might be a solution. Sun Patches are waterproof, reusable (up to 10 wears) block 98% of UVA/UVB rays, and maintain their UPF 50+ rating all day long.
by Anne Moratto
The Nail Doctor: Onycholysis, or Nail Separation, Has Different Varieties
One of the most common conditions that affects the nail is onycholysis, which is the separation of the nail plate from the nail bed. Onycholysis occurs as a result of or along with a great variety of nail traumas and disorders. Probably the most common cause of onycholysis is a fungal infection of the nail.
Standing Stretches for Physical Longevity
Hairdressing is a physically taxing career integrating simple stretches into your daily routine can reduce the strain repetitive motion puts on your body, help you stay flexible and strong and eventually prolong your career.