Tick Removal: The Right Way, and Four Myths

Remove a tick with fine-tipped tweezers, grasping as close to the skin as possible and pulling straight out with steady pressure. Do not twist, burn, smother or freeze it. Those methods can make the tick regurgitate into the bite, which is exactly the outcome you are trying to avoid.

The method

Part the hair or clothing so you can see the attachment point. Grasp the tick where its mouthparts enter the skin, not by the swollen body. Pull straight up with slow steady pressure and do not jerk. Clean the bite and your hands afterward. If mouthparts break off, leave them, because digging causes more damage than they do.

The four myths

• Burning it with a match. Injures the person, and the heat can make the tick regurgitate.
• Smothering with petroleum jelly or nail polish. Takes far too long and stresses the tick into regurgitating.
• Twisting it out. Increases the chance of leaving mouthparts behind.
• Using your fingers. Squeezing the body forces contents back into the bite.

What to watch for afterward

Note the date. Most tick bites cause nothing. See a doctor if a spreading rash, fever, headache or aching joints appear in the following weeks, and tell them about the bite, because that context changes what they test for.

Alpha-gal is the local twist

The lone star tick, which is the most common species here, is associated with alpha-gal syndrome, a delayed allergic reaction to red meat that shows up hours after eating. If someone in the house develops unexplained late-night hives after dinner, that connection is worth raising with a doctor.

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