I have never removed blackheads. Pressed by my wife, I decided to give ilumi’s “in the clear: blackheads removal”, a chance. my problem was: 5 big, deeply buried, stubborn blackheads on my nose. The first use was a bit frustrating as there was no significant effect. it almost got me stop using it. But, after the third use, all 5 blackheads were all gone. My tip: use it several times, leave the preparation on for at least 2 hours each time and remove it by using a sponge. There was no pain associated and as the film on the skin is transparent it allowed me to function normally. It is a good solution for us men who don’t visit the beauticians often and don’t like to bear any pain associated with it.