What do ticks look like on human skin? - briefly
Attached ticks appear as small, rounded, gray‑brown bumps that often resemble a seed or tiny bead. While feeding, their bodies swell, becoming larger and darker, sometimes showing a visible mouthpart protruding from the skin.
What do ticks look like on human skin? - in detail
Ticks attached to a person are small, oval‑shaped arachnids whose appearance changes dramatically as they feed. An unfed specimen is flat, about the size of a grain of sand (0.5–1 mm for larvae, 1–3 mm for nymphs, 3–5 mm for adult females) and usually brown or reddish‑brown. Six legs are clearly visible, each ending in a tiny claw. The dorsal surface is smooth, sometimes showing faint punctate markings that differ among species.
Once a tick inserts its hypostome into the skin, its abdomen expands. An engorged female can grow to the size of a pea (up to 10 mm) and appears balloon‑like, turning grayish‑white or reddish‑purple. The body becomes markedly swollen, while the legs remain relatively short and may appear tucked against the engorged abdomen. The mouthparts, a dark, barbed structure, remain visible at the attachment point, often resembling a tiny black tick‑shaped protrusion.
Life‑stage visual differences
- Larva (seed tick): translucent, <1 mm, no noticeable color change after feeding; appears as a tiny speck.
- Nymph: reddish‑brown, 1–2 mm; after feeding, enlarges to 3–5 mm, color shifts to pale gray.
- Adult female: brown to dark brown before feeding; engorged size 5–10 mm, color becomes pale or reddish‑purple.
- Adult male: smaller than females, 3–5 mm, remains relatively flat even after feeding.
Ticks preferentially attach to warm, moist areas with thin skin: scalp, behind ears, neck, armpits, groin, and the flexor surfaces of elbows and knees. They may also be found on the torso, especially near hairline or clothing seams.
Detection relies on visual inspection and tactile cues. A raised, circular bump with a central dark point (the hypostome) indicates attachment. The surrounding skin may show a small erythema ring, but the tick itself is often the only visible element. Prompt removal before full engorgement reduces the risk of disease transmission.