New study finds that UV nail polish dryers can lead to cancer-causing mutations in cells, according to a new study.

Getty

According to a new study, UV nail polish dryers (used for gel manicures) can cause cancerous mutations and kill cells.

The study was published in Tuesday’s issue. Nature Communications, Cells were analyzed under two conditions of UV exposure. The UV dryers were used to dry cells in acute conditions. They had two 20-minute sessions with an hour break. Chronic exposure cells had one session for 20 minutes, which was repeated three days in a row.

Researchers found that 20 minutes of UV drying caused cell death in one session, and up to 30 percent in three sessions. However, exposure to UV dryers for 20 minutes resulted only in cell death in the subsequent 20 minute sessions.

The exposure caused mutations in the cells that were left, which are often seen in skin cancer.

“We saw multiple items: First, we saw DNA get damaged,” Ludmil Alexov, a bioengineering professor at UC San Diego, and study author, stated in a statement. “We also found that DNA damage can not be repaired over time and that it does cause mutations after each exposure to a UV-nail dryer. We also found that prolonged exposure to UV light can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction. This may in turn cause additional mutations. We examined patients with skin tumors and found the same mutations in these patients as in the irradiated ones.

RELATED: Mom Had Her Ear Amputated After Developing Skin Cancer Due to Tanning Addiction

Getty

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE‘s free daily newsletter Keep up-to-date with the latest PEOPLE news, including juicy celebrity news and compelling human interest stories.

University of California San Diego researchers found that UV light exposure in tanning beds has been linked to cancer in many studies. Despite the fact that nail polish dryers use a different spectrum, it has not been proven to have any harmful effects.

Alexandrov stated that these devices are presented in a way that is safe and does not pose any danger. “But to the best our knowledge, nobody has studied these devices and their effects on human cells at the molecular or cellular levels.”

Researchers found that rare cancers in fingers often developed from those who had gel manicures with UV-nail polish drying devices.

Researchers believe that more data is required, which spans many years, in order “accurately quantify” the risk of skin cancer in the hands of people who use UV-nail polish dryers.