A TOTTINGTON businesswoman has warned about misleading TV shows that talk about "easy" laser tattoo removal.

Lizzi O'Keane, who owns Shattered Ink in Mawdsley Street, Bolton, admits she is frustrated with TV programmes such as Bodyshockers, fronted by Katie Piper, that add to the misconception of laser treatment.

Ms O'Keane, who has been in business since 2011, uses a top-of-the-range grade four Quanta Q Plus C machine with in-built ruby to get rid of blues and green colours — which some machines do not remove — and says that people need to be aware that treatment can be more long-haul.

The 40-year-old said: "People come in and often expect that you can erase their tattoo in one session because they have seen it on TV. But it is very misleading. I know they want to make good TV but it isn't right.

"Some programmes make out that a tattoo can be removed in one or two sessions and that it is agonising pain. But this isn't a true reflection. There are options such as numbing cream for those who do find it a bit painful, for example.

"People always want to know how long it will take to finish their treatment, but it is impossible to tell because there are so many variables such as skin type and the way the tattoo was done. We are up front about this but advise that on average it could be anything between eight and 15 sessions."

Laser treatment at Shattered Ink is only administered after a medical consultation has been completed.

The mother-of-two added: "Everything is gold standard here and treatment is done in a safe and professional manner. But sadly that is not always the case elsewhere. Laser removal is more in the public eye now but sadly some tattooists are buying inferior machines without offering a proper medical consultation beforehand."