How can a tick that has crawled under the skin be removed? - briefly
Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with fine‑point tweezers and pull upward with steady, even pressure; then disinfect the site and, if necessary, gently lift any remaining mouthparts with a sterile needle.
How can a tick that has crawled under the skin be removed? - in detail
A tick that has embedded itself beneath the epidermis requires prompt, precise extraction to reduce the risk of pathogen transmission. The following procedure outlines the recommended technique:
- Select a pair of fine‑pointed, non‑slipping tweezers or a dedicated tick‑removal device.
- Grasp the parasite as close to the skin surface as possible, securing the head or mouthparts without compressing the body.
- Apply steady, upward traction, maintaining a constant force until the tick detaches completely.
- Avoid twisting, jerking, or squeezing, which can cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the tissue.
- After removal, cleanse the bite area with an antiseptic solution (e.g., povidone‑iodine or alcohol).
- Preserve the extracted tick in a sealed container with alcohol for potential laboratory identification, if required.
If any mouthparts persist in the skin, a sterile needle can be used to gently lift them, followed by another round of antiseptic cleaning. Persistent inflammation, signs of infection, or inability to extract the entire organism warrants immediate medical evaluation. Monitoring the site for several weeks is advisable; the appearance of a rash, fever, or flu‑like symptoms may indicate disease transmission and should prompt professional assessment.