Who hasn't tried and practically fell in love with the gel manicure? We can remember the first time we only had to sit at the dryer for 5 minutes, and were mesmerized by how fast and convenient the process was!

But nail junkies everywhere might wanna pump the brakes when they read this one.

A report from the Dermatology Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that the ultra violet light used in nail salons could be harming us more than it is drying our nails. The study goes on to say that in just 24 trips to get a UV gel manicure, only two-dozen trips, can possibly trigger cancer -causing DNA damage to cells. And not only is the UV light a danger, the actual polish can pose a threat too.

"In general, any manicure left in place for an extended period of time is not a good idea because you are not seeing what is going on underneath the nail polish," Dr. Chris Adigun, assistant professor of dermatology at The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at NYU School of Medicine said in a press release from the American Academy of Dermatology. "As is the case with most things, moderation is the key when it comes to gel manicures. " 

The study has many women truly worried, and rightfully so, as any potential risk, although said to be small by experts, has us all wondering what can be done to combat the exposure?

Leave it to savvy beauty junkies to begin thinking of ways to ensure skin is protected within these UV gel nail dryers, even if our hands are only in them for just a couple minutes.

Some women have begun to reportedly apply sun block just before heading to the nail salon to keep her skin protected.  Others recommend wearing a thin pair of UV protective gloves with the tips of the fingers cut off of course, so nails can peak through and dry. Many also suggest laying a towel over your hands too.

Thankfully, experts stress that the threat is still very low and more testing needs to be done. Dr. Gilbert Ross, medical director for the nonprofit the American Council on Science and Health (ACSG), downplayed the link between skin cancer and gel manicures. 

"While it is true that UV light is a carcinogen -- causally related to different types of skin cancer -- the amount of exposure in a gel manicure does not seem likely to raise skin cancer risk and the fact that there have only been two cases in the literature suspected to be so linked makes this seem alarmist," he said on the ACSH website."

What do you think about gel manicures? Convenient or potentially dangerous? Tell us with a note below.