Reprimand Remove Tick For Free

Different ticks live in different parts of the country and transmit different diseases. If you find a tick attached to your skin, simply remove the tick as soon as possible. There are several tick removal devices on the market, but a plain set of fine-tipped tweezers works very well.

Touching it with a hot match is a common one. Others include covering it with petroleum jelly or nail polish (in theory to suffocate it), or freezing it off. These are all supposed to make the tick back out of the skin on its own.

The CDC discourages "folklore remedies" like nail polish, petroleum jelly (Vaseline), and heat that lift the tick away from the skin, since they rely on waiting for a tick to detach, which takes longer.

Clean the skin with rubbing alcohol. Use a sterile needle to uncover the head and lift it out. If a small piece of the head remains, the skin will slowly shed it. If most of the head is left, call your doctor for help.

If a small part of the tick remains embedded in the skin, that is okay. There is no longer a risk of transmission of disease once the tick is dead. Clean the area well with soap and water. If there is part of the tick remaining in the skin, apply antibiotic ointment regularly and watch for signs of local infection.

If you aren't able to completely remove a tick's head, you should see a medical professional. A tick's head left under skin doesn't increase your risk of Lyme disease or other tick-borne illnesses, but it does increase your risk of some bacterial infections.

When back home, shower or bathe as soon as possible and carefully inspect the entire body to remove any attached ticks. It takes up to 36 hours for the bacterium to be transferred after the tick bite. Prompt removal of the tick will reduce the chance of infection.