The good thing about middle age is that we start to discover who we are, leave youthful anxiety (and spots) behind and feel more at ease in our skin. Unfortunately, this state of self-acceptance normally arrives just as said skin starts to get looser, produce wrinkles and join our bodies in a steady decline.

But help is at hand and the days when we succumbed to the onslaught of ageing are long gone.

Chief among the aids to firmer, younger skin are treatments like Botox, derma-fillers and microdermabrasion, which I have recently tried out at The Harley Medical Group clinic.

I’m in good company as the famous beauties who have opted for these anti-ageing procedures include Madonna, Demi Moore, Kylie Minogue and Sharon Stone.

Used responsibly, these anti-ageing procedures can empower women as they defy culturally-imposed ‘sell-by dates’ and look as fresh and confident as they feel inside.

Since I am about to turn 35, I visited The Harley Medical Group, 354 Lisburn Road, Belfast, to test out a programme of non-surgical procedures called Medical Microdermabrasion.

If you wonder just what it is, it’s a sophisticated skin peel where the superficial layers of skin are partly or completely removed in a gentle procedure to reverse sun damage and the effects of ageing.

The Harley Medical Group,

which offers a plethora of surgical procedures and anti-ageing, scientifically formulated, Agera skincare and treatment ranges, specialise in these non-surgical solutions.

If you try the clinic’s peels, laser, pigmentation and acne treatments, Botox, medical micro-dermabrasion, and dermafillers, you’ll receive a beauty treatment that lasts.

These procedures can eliminate, or greatly reduce, the tell-tale signs of ageing and all treatments at the Harley Medical Group are performed by a highly specialised medical team, headed by clinic manager Dee Power.

I’m quite happy to avail myself purely of microdermabrasion which is perfect for those who don’t want to succumb to the Botox needle but just wish to freshen up their skin and tackle fine lines, skin texture, sun damage and acne with some pretty intensive exfoliation.

Before administering the treatment, Dee conducted a comprehensive complexion analysis report using a hi-tech skin scanner which measures UV spots, brown spots, and red areas, and gives percentile levels of spots, wrinkles, texture, and pores.

Your scores depict your ranking relative to others of the same age, gender and skin type and higher scores are better.

Years of sun avoidance and skin care have evidently paid off for me as most of my

scores came out at 99 per cent but with fine lines scoring 94 per cent, there’s obviously some room for improvement.

Evidence of hyperpigmentation on my cheekbone area through sun exposure as a child can also be tackled by this procedure.

Medical Microdermabrasion is performed by passing a hand-held device with a highly controlled flow of fine, medical grade crystals over the skin.

These crystals are delivered at high velocity onto the skin’s surface and are immediately vacuumed away, taking the topmost layer of dead skin cells with them.

We all spend a fortune on skin care products without realising that we’re simply applying them to dead cells.

However, this process, while improving tone and texture, also reveals the new, living, smooth skin underneath.

It stimulates the underlying epidermis and promotes new collagen, thickening the dermis and improving resistance to the effects of ageing.

Microdermabrasion can be used on all skin types, young or old, male or female and no recovery time is necessary.

During the procedure I initially felt slight discomfort, mainly because this was a totally new sensation.

However, this soon disappeared and was replaced by the sheer satisfaction of knowing my skin was getting a good, old fashioned ‘scrub’.

Microdermabrasion offers a modern, painless alternative to chemical and laser peels. In fact, you could easily pop in during your lunch hour and return to work looking fresh and vibrant.

Afterwards, my skin looked visibly younger and smoother with both the fine expression lines around my eyes notably reduced.

One session down and five more to go (one session costs £95. a series of six £399) — I don’t think I’ll recognise myself after the other sessions are completed!