‘I looked at my face skin under a microscope and now I'll never sleep again’: Is zooming in on your skin ever a good idea?

One Reddit user takes a closer look at her face and instantly regrets it

Elle was shocked at the results when examining her forehead under 500x magnification

It may look like a photo of the surface of an alien planet - but this is human skin in extreme close-up.

While most of use try to avoid seeing ourselves in unflattering magnified mirrors, a Reddit user called Elle decided to examine her face using a microscope with 500x magnification.

She wanted to take a closer look at her oversensitive skin, and wrote: "My skin can be a bit oversensitive but I’m reasonably happy with it. I thought the microscopy might help with the diagnosis of any issues, right?"

Right. On closer inspection Elle discovered that her skin was covered in Milia, which are small, raised, pearly-white cysts that are most often seen around the cheeks, nose, forehead and eyelids.

“I have a huge tapestry of sebaceous filaments all over my nose, under eyes, cheeks. They look terrifying," she said.

"Don't buy a microscope if you ever want to sleep again," she added.

As a result, Elle immediately raided her beauty stash and drank a heap of water in an attempt to diminish the frighteningly “big holes” in her skin, and just one day later she started to notice a difference - proving just how important it is to take care of your skin.

Your skin is the largest and fastest growing organ in your bodym and it can help to reveal much more about your health than you may realise.

Washing your face regularly and avoiding temptations such as alcohol, smoking and basking in the sun will reduce your risk of damage.

So - would you be brave enough to take a look at your face more closely than you’ve never done before?