UV lamps used for eyelash extensions in high street salons might pose a health risk, experts fear.
Beauticians sell the treatment for as little as £30, which involves shining a light on fake lashes after they have been hand-glued on, with the promise of making them waterproof and longer-lasting.
But the practice, described as ‘worrying’ by dermatologists, isn’t backed by the beauty industry’s trade body.
Experts warn the long-term health risks are a mystery, but concerns are rising that UV lights used for other beauty treatments could lead to melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Brits have told of the painful burns and swelling they’ve suffered from the treatment, as a result of the eyelash glue overheating. One was even left with chemically burnt lashes.
A second ‘aesthetics specialist’ based in Bolton, using the handle @_facesbyfrancesca on Instagram, advertised an hour-long infill UV lash set for £31 and an hour-and-a-half full set for £45
Unlike traditional glues used to attach lash extensions, which can take minutes to fully set, UV lash glue dries rapidly within seconds under a UV light.
Proponents say it reduces the chance of lashes sticking together.
Some eyelash technicians advise using silicone eye pads to protect the eyes while the UV lamp works.
MailOnline discovered one Liverpool-based lash artist, who goes by the handle @lashedbyjodie.x on Instagram, advertied ‘UV/LED lashes’ that cure ‘within two seconds’.
LED lamps — which work in the same fashion — emit lower levels of UV rays.
The treatment, costing £45, is listed as taking two-and-a-half hours in total and promises the lash set will last for more than four weeks.
With normal eyelash extensions, gaps can appear within a fortnight.
‘UV and LED curing also create a stronger bond, resulting in longer-lasting eyelash extensions,’ she wrote on Instagram. ‘Additionally, these technologies emit less heat, making the process more comfortable for client.’
A second ‘aesthetics specialist’ based in Bolton, using the handle @_facesbyfrancesca on Instagram, advertised an hour-long infill UV lash set for £31 and an hour-and-a-half full set for £45.
Promising to last for up to eight weeks, 80 per cent of people who are allergic to standard lash glue can undergo UV lash treatments without a reaction, she claimed.
The lamp also takes an average of 1.5 seconds to cure each lash, meaning just ’20 minutes of exposure per set’ she said.
‘Did you know that LED UV light with the same working principle like this has been used in medicine and dentistry for two decades?’, she added.
Another in Leeds, using the handle @courtneys_beauty_lounge and charging up to £70 for a ‘hybrid set’, claimed curing lashes with a UV LED beam would allow clients to visit the gym, pool or sauna immediately after the treatment.
Lash technicians are even offering crash courses teaching people how to DIY their own UV lash extensions for up to £150, MailOnline discovered.
But the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC), which regulates beauty professionals, does not insure those offering the treatment due to a lack of research into the potential risks.
Lesley Blair, chair of BABTAC, told MailOnline: ‘As new treatments emerge within the beauty industry, our role is to ensure beauty therapists and salons are appropriately insured, helping to maintain a high value of treatments offered in salons by professionals.
‘When it comes to UV lash extensions, as there is still plenty of investigation and research to be done into any immediate or long-term health risks, we do not currently offer insurance for this treatment.’
Dr Leila Asfour, of the British Association of Dermatologists, told MailOnline: ‘The skin on the eyelids is very thin, more sensitive, and more prone to allergic reactions.
‘Eyelash glue is normally cyanoacrylate based, which is a well-recognised cause of contact allergy, and doesn’t need UV to cure, though this may speed the process.’
Another in Leeds, using the handle @courtneys_beauty_lounge and charging up to £70 for a ‘hybrid set’, also claimed curing lashes with a UV LED beam would also allow clients to visit the gym, pool or sauna immediately after the treatment
Another in Leeds, using the handle @courtneys_beauty_lounge and charging up to £70 for a ‘hybrid set’, also claimed curing lashes with a UV LED beam would also allow clients to visit the gym, pool or sauna immediately after the treatment
‘Did you know that LED UV light with the same working principle like this has been used in medicine and dentistry for two decades?’, @_facesbyfrancesca added
She added: ‘It is unclear if the LED lights used in eyelash extensions emit UV light, whereas we know that lamps used in gel manicure will.
‘There is a rising concern whether gel manicures due to the use of UV light can contribute to the development of melanoma in the nails, hands, or feet.
‘We would need more data on UV/LED lashes extensions to be collected over time to understand the true incidence.’
Melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, strikes more than 15,000 Brits and almost 100,000 Americans each year, with the disease causing around 2,500 and 8,000 deaths, respectively.
Nearly nine in 10 cases of the cancer are caused by overexposure to UV radiation, usually from the sun or sunbeds, which damages the DNA in skin cells.
However, the UV radiation produced by lamps used to set gel nail polish produce artificial UV radiation, similar to tanning beds and the sun.
Scientists at the University of California found that just using a UV lamp for just 20 minutes to dry a gel manicure caused 20 to 30 per cent cell death.
Researchers warned that the devices are presented as safe but ‘no one has actually studied’ them and how they affect cells.
Customers have flooded social media with complaints about the side effects of UV eyelash treatments in recent months.
In a Reddit group with over 21,000 members, one user wrote: ‘I had three fills done with this system and it was so hot on my eyelid, it woke me up from my nap.
‘I asked my tech if it’s supposed to burn and feel so hot like that and she said she doesn’t know.
‘So I decided to start with a different lash tech that didn’t use it, and she said my lashes look like they had a chemical burn or something.’
In the same thread another complained of ‘burned swollen red eyes’ after the lamp ‘burned so hot’.
They wrote: ‘I had mine done with new led glue and new lamp and it burned so hot asked lash tech to stop and go back to old way with old glue no lamp.
‘I have a burned swollen red eye. But only me as had a reaction so maybe I am ultra sensitive to this system.’
Unlike traditional glues used to attach lash extensions, which can take minutes to fully set, UV lash glue dries rapidly within seconds under a UV light
However, the UV radiation produced by lamps used to set gel nail polish produce artificial UV radiation, similar to tanning beds and the sun
In a separate thread with more than 19,000 members, another person complained their false lashes had started to fall out three days after the UV treatment.
Alarm bells were raised earlier this year over the incorrect use of UV lamps during gel manicures, which left people with life-changing allergies.
The chemicals in gel nail polishes, known as methacrylates, can cause an allergic reaction if they leak into the skin. This happens when the UV lamp is not on for long enough or the equipment is poorly maintained.
At-home gel manicures are the most likely culprit for triggering the painful reaction, but even salon nail treatments can pose a risk if the technician is poorly-trained.
Shweta Aggarwal, a consultant plastic surgeon, specialising in skin and breast cancer at Nuffield Health, told MailOnline that a similar lack of training and guidance for lash technicians could see long-term damage to the eyes.
The practice is ‘worrying’ and hasn’t been regulated or tested, she said.
Ms Aggarwal said: ‘This means we don’t know which UV light is being used, how long it is being used and so on.
‘It also means there are no guidelines around its safety. All new practices should be introduced via clinical trial, which would test the practice under standard conditions and monitored long term.
‘There is no long-term data available on the safety of these practices when done that close to the eye.
‘Where UV light is used elsewhere in medical settings, for example in dentistry, it is recommended to wear glasses to minimise any risk to the eyes.’
She added: ‘Exposure to UV light is known to cause eye damage including cataracts, which can negatively affect your eyesight.
‘Some people may be particularly sensitive to the UV light, based on their skin type or if they are on other medication which can heighten sensitivity.
‘I would therefore advise against this, due to the lack of evidence that it is safe to use. If you have had this done and are concerned, seek advice from your GP or optician.’
