Removal Steps
Speed matters. For Lyme disease, transmission from an infected black-legged tick generally requires 24 to 48 hours of attachment. Powassan virus can transfer in as little as 15 minutes. Get it out as soon as you find it.
You need fine-tipped tweezers. The blunt kind most people have in their medicine cabinet make this harder than it needs to be. If you spend time outdoors regularly, keep a pair of pointed tick tweezers around. They cost a few dollars and the difference in grip quality is real.
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1Get the tweezers as close to the skin as possible. You want to grip the head and mouthparts, not the swollen body. Gripping the body risks squeezing fluids into the wound.
2Pull straight up with slow, steady pressure. Not a jerk. Not a twist. Slow and firm, straight out from the skin. Twisting causes mouthparts to break off and stay embedded.
3If mouthparts break off, try once with tweezers. If they don't come out easily, leave them. Your body pushes them out naturally as the skin heals. Digging at them creates more harm than leaving them alone.
4Dispose of the tick without crushing it with your fingers. Put it in a sealed bag with a little rubbing alcohol, or flush it. Pathogens can pass through small breaks in skin.
5Clean the bite area and your hands. Soap and water, then rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer on the spot.
6Save the tick if you can. Put it in a sealed bag in the refrigerator. If you develop symptoms in the following weeks, knowing the species helps a doctor. TickEncounter at URI and TickCheck both offer testing services.
7Write down the date and where on your body. You'll want this if you see a doctor.
8Check the rest of your body. One tick usually means more are along for the ride.
Do not use petroleum jelly, nail polish, a hot match, dish soap, or alcohol applied to the tick while it's still attached. These folk remedies can cause the tick to regurgitate into the wound, which is the opposite of what you want. Tweezers and steady upward pressure. That's the only method that works.