In Style: It looks like torture, but Dermaroller could save you going under the knife

That's because the Dermaroller resembles some kind of ancient weapon Lara Croft herself might wield — a miniature paint roller covered in tiny needles designed to puncture the skin over and over again. This, the theory goes, encourages the production of collagen, promoting younger, brighter, healthier-looking skin. But does it work?

"It's the latest thing on the block," says group clinical lead at Transform clinics, Dr Sach Mohan, "and it is phenomenal. The beauty of the treatment is that it's on a par with laser resurfacing or chemical peels, where you have downtime of at least a week. Here you look moderately sunburnt for about 24 hours. We're getting incredible results with conditions that were very difficult to treat in the past: stretch marks, for example, and acne scars.

"At the most basic level, it harnesses the skin's ability to repair and regenerate itself. By making microscopic punctures, the skin is fooled into thinking it has been damaged and responds over a series of weeks to produce a new blood supply to the skin and new collagen."

Fortunately, despite appearances, it also turns out to be almost pain-free, as a thick layer of anaesthetic cream is applied all over my skin prior to treatment. I must then wait a good half-hour for that to take effect, so my face feels completely numb by the time the therapist gets to work, methodically rolling the needles over my face.

Does it bleed? Yes, I look as if I've had a run-in with Pinhead from Hellraiser, but it doesn't last long, and a gentle cream is applied as protection from the elements before I leave. As predicted, I'm pretty pink and sunburned-looking. By the end of the day, however, I'm beginning to look human again, though I can't wear make-up for 24 hours.

The following day I'm amazed by the results — my skin really does look brighter and clearer. Uneven pigmentation has been sorted out, and it's so smooth. The effects last three or four weeks and it's recommended that clients take a course of six treatments, but even after one the benefits are so obvious my work colleagues notice.

Dermaroller is just the latest in a growing trend for non-invasive cosmetic procedures that deliver maximum effects with minimum downtime. "The thing with cosmetic treatments is risk," says Mohan, "particularly in using a general anaesthetic. So wherever possible we want to try and minimise exposure to general anaesthetic."

Even areas once thought untreatable can now be worked on. The hands, for instance. "As people grow older the skin in the back of the hands becomes crepey. Particularly Celtic skin, which is very thin, gets pigmented and you get sunspots," says Mohan. "We're now using volumising injections. They involve a single injection in the back of the hands, the results can last up to 18 months, and it costs just 500."

Men are the biggest growing customer base, making up a third of Mohan's clients in London, "and I would be surprised if it wasn't the same for the other metropolitan areas. We get all sorts of men in: builders, contractors, not just your metrosexual, 120,000-a-year individuals.

More often than not the damage is caused by excessive alcohol or sun exposure. So they want IPL for thread veins, laser treatment for rosacea, Dermaroller, and botox for excessive sweating."

The next breakthrough treatment we can expect, however, is botox without a needle — "topical application of botox which can penetrate the skin into the muscle," explains Mohan. "In the future it's going to be all about minimal discomfort and minimal bruising. That's the holy grail."

Dermaroller, 350 per treatment, Transform, 16 Great Stuart Street,Edinburgh; Ingram House, 227 Ingram Street, Glasgow (0800 655 6406, www.transforminglives.co.uk)

This article first appeared in Scotland on Sunday, September 12, 2010