It was a pouring wet Thursday lunchtime in Glasgow when I arrived at Essence Medical to experience something I had never done before: my first cosmetic procedure.
The glossy clinic, tucked away in an unassuming building in Cowcaddens - a short walk from the underground station - has been run for the past 15 years by Dr Kieren Bong, a specialist in aesthetics whose talents have honed the faces of several television presenters, West End performers, and former contestants in the Miss World and Miss Universe beauty pageants.
At 41, I have never experienced anything more painful than an eyebrow wax in the name of beauty and while I would describe myself as 'Botox-curious', I have mostly been deterred by the price tag - and a fear that I might like it more than I can actually afford it.
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With a few fine lines starting to appear, I jumped at the chance when Essence Medical invited me to try out their latest anti-ageing treatment - a form of radiofrequency microneedling which uses a device called Sylfirm X.
Although the technology has been popular for years in the United States, it has only been available in Scotland for the past five months.
Dr Bong was one of the first practitioners to begin offering the procedure when it launched at Essence Medical in mid-April.
Since then, he has been seeing around 15 to 20 patients per week for the treatment ranging in age from late 30s to late 60s, and - to date - all of them have been so pleased with the results that they have come back for a second appointment.
Unlike Botox or filler where substances are injected into the skin, Sylfirm X has also attracted a higher number of males than usual. So far, 10% of Dr Bong's patients have been men.
So what does it do?
In simple terms, the technique uses a combination of thermal energy and 25 superfine needles to pierce the skin by a few millimetres into area known as the dermis in order to stimulate production of collagen - a protein which keeps skin looking young and healthy.
As people age - particularly from 30 onwards - the body naturally produces less collagen, gradually leading to wrinkles and sagging skin.
Boosting collagen means firmer, tighter skin and a reduction in the appearance of fine lines.
Microneedling also has the advantage that nothing artificial is going into the body.
Experts in aesthetic medicine have known for years that using thermal energy - whether radiofrequency waves, laser, or ultrasound - can promote collagen production.
The problem was that the temperature required to trigger this effect - 30-75°C - would burn the epidermis, the top layer of skin, and hurt the patient.
"The epidermis is a very poor heat conductor because it can burn very easily," said Dr Bong.
"It can also be very uncomfortable for a patient if we were to dial up the temperature to a level that we think is necessary to contract the skin and stimulate collagen production.
"That's why, historically, energy devices for skin tightening that sit on the surface of the skin tend to quote patients six to 12 sessions and a minimum of three to four before they start seeing some results, because the temperature they are allowed to use has to be on the lower side."
The solution thrown up by microneedling is that it enables clinicians to bypass the epidermis altogether to deliver a burst of heat - roughly 50°C - straight into the dermis layer, meaning that the effects can begin after a single session.
Dr Bong said: "This time we can ramp up the temperature to the level that scientists believe is ideal for contraction of the skin as well as stimulating collagen production.
"That is the fundamental difference between radiofrequency microneedling and more conventional energy devices for skin tightening."
Unlike other forms of microneedling, Sylfirm X - distributed in the UK by Novus Medical - deploys something called the 'Na Effect', named after its Korean pioneer Dr Jungju Na.
This means that the heat released by the microneedles is distributed in the dermis in a teardrop shape, tapering towards the surface.
Other devices release thermal energy in smaller, spherical bursts which means practitioners usually have to go over the same area of skin multiple times, calibrating the needles to reach different depths.
The result is that Sylfirm X is faster, less invasive, and much less abrasive to skin.
Collagen production begins to increase five days after the first procedure and continues for several weeks afterwards, so that patients see a gradual, cumulative benefit.
Dr Bong recommends two sessions six weeks apart for first time patients, with annual top ups thereafter. Each session costs £450.
So what is it actually like?
While it might sound brutal, the procedure is essentially pain-free with no need for any anaesthetic cream.
In my case, Dr Bong ran the device across my forehead, cheeks, upper lip, chin and jawline twice, targeting slightly different depths of my dermis.
On the chubbier areas, where skin is thicker, I could barely feel anything each time the machine pulsed into action.
Around my chin, lips and forehead it felt a bit like someone pinching the skin. Slightly uncomfortable, but not painful.
The whole procedure took around 20-25 minutes.
At the end my skin looked pink and flushed - as if I had just been for a vigorous run - and felt quite tight and tingly, but this wore off within a couple of hours.
The next day it was slightly drier than usual, but by day two it was back to normal.
I'm booked in and ready to brave my second session at the end of September (when Dr Bong will ramp up the pressure slightly, to enhance the effect) but for now it's a case of watch and wait while my face starts to, hopefully, rejuvenate.
I'm not sure what would be worse: seeing no effect at all, or an effect so good I'll never want to stop.
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