How to Remove Tick Heads Embedded in the Skin

Ticks latch onto your skin and suck your blood. Ticks can pass on Lyme disease, which can cause nerve damage or paralysis. There are many methods for removing ticks, most of which aren't recommended. Applying petroleum jelly, fingernail polish or matches to help remove a tick are well-known methods, but they aren't particularly effective and actually can have adverse effects. In addition, these methods can cause the tick to inject germs into your skin.

Things You'll Need

• Cotton ball, or alcohol swab
• Rubbing alcohol
• Tweezers, cloth, rubber glove or tissue

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Instructions

• 1

  Clean the area of the skin around the tick with a alcohol wipe or cotton ball soaked with rubbing alcohol.

• 2

  Pull the tick as close to the skin as possible with tweezers or your fingertips covered by a tissue or cloth or rubber gloves.

• 3

  Pull the tick until it lets go. Don't twist or jerk the tick. This could cause the head or mouth parts to break off of the tick and remain in the skin. If just removing a tick body part, like the head, pull the head until it is removed from the skin.

• 4

  Flush the tick down the toilet. Don't squeeze or smash the tick because it will spread the tick's germs.

• 5

  Clean the area of the skin where the tick was implanted with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol, or an alcohol wipe.