The fourth most abundant compound in the crust of the earth is aluminum oxide. It is the ore from which aluminum metal is produced. The gemstones: rubies and sapphires are aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide is used as an abrasive in many polishing and grinding applications. Aluminum oxide is used in the dental and surgical fields. It is also known as a technical ceramic. The category, technical ceramics applies to all materials known for their hardness and chemical inertness. And now, we have aluminum oxide and microdermabrasion.

When aluminum oxide is fused, the crystals are second in hardness only to the diamond. It is inert chemically in the microdermabrasion environment. It is eco friendly and allowed in landfills. Aluminum hydroxide is a wet and non crystallized form of aluminum oxide and is used in antacids.

Aluminum oxide, here known as alumina, has been used for years in the dental industry for dentures and restorations. The dental paste used to polish your teeth uses a form crystals. It was first used in the 1920's and is now being used again, after a short hiatus, mostly in microdermabrasion equipment. Exposure of aluminum to patients and operators from aluminum in microdermabrasion treatment is not hazardous. It would require the aluminum crystals to be converted into a biologically active form and introduced to the bloodstream or body tissue. However, the crystals used in microdermabrasion are aluminum oxide which is chemically inert. It is not water soluble and is therefore safe and cannot become biologically active.

There were many tests conducted by scientists as to the safety of the crystals as to how they would effect the lungs; if it had carcinogenic effect; and if it had any embryonic effect. The outcome of all of the research showed that it was safe and had none of the aforementioned effects and is therefore safe to use as an implant material such as dental implants.

When used in microdermabrasion systems the aluminum oxide is used as crystals that slough off the dead skin cells to reveal a rejuvenated and renewed skin. The crystals are used in conjunction with a cream or lotion to make the treatment smoother and somewhat less painful. Since the treatment calls for a vacuuming of the dead skin cells, at the time of the treatment, there is no cause to feel that any of the crystals would be left imbedded in the new skin.

As we have mentioned before, the ruby, a gemstone, is a variety of the same crystals and gets its crimson color from traces of chromium. It can be had in colors of red-purple and red-orange. The ruby is a very hard and tough gemstone second only to the diamond which is the hardest mineral in the world. The diamond is also used in particle form in microdermabrasion treatments. The organic ruby is rare and most of those that we see on the market today are synthetic. Because of their hardness and their close association to the diamond, natural rubies are very expensive.

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