It is a statement issued by RSB through Twitter, which is based on the results of the inspection of these machines known as ‘UV Nails Polish Dryers’.
The government asked the users of these machines in hair and hair care facilities to hurry up and test us to see if we are still of high quality and if using us would have no negative impact on the health of customers.
A business entity or an individual who wishes to import these machines into Rwanda is required to present a standards report issued by an accredited laboratory, and the standards have been approved based on international quality regulations for these devices.
Those who need these hairdressing services are also required to first ask about the quality of the machines used by their service providers, and as long as they question the quality of these devices, provide information to RSB and other agencies that help in quality control to be monitored.
RSB’s announcement about the health risks that may be caused by these vernis drying machines on the nails comes amid a series of studies on the issue, including one published in 2023 by researchers at the University of California in the United States, which shows that the lights in these machines can cause cancer.
The study showed that these lights damage the ‘DNA’ of very small skin cells as long as 20 minutes have passed since the person is using the machine.
This can lead to skin cancer, as explained in the study’s report.
Research on these machines, as explained by Maria Zhivagui, who was in charge, started after hearing that one of the fashion promoters in the Miss Illinois pageant suffered from unfamiliar cancer and later said that she suffered from it due to the frequent use of these vernis drying machines on her nails.
Maria Zhivagui said, “We found out that the Miss Illinois USA fashion designer suffered from rare cancer. He himself declares that the cancer appeared after applying vernis to the nails often and adds that he used to apply vernis called ‘gel’. We then decided to study ‘UV’ machines used in’salons’ that process hunger.
Maria Zhivagui confirms that at the beginning of the research, they found that there were other studies done on these machines, announcing that there were cancers on the nails and hands on the back that were often seen on our users in beauty salons.
NDIZEYE Amani