What does a small tick look like under the skin? - briefly
A tiny, raised, dark spot that looks like a small black dot or pimple, sometimes surrounded by a faint red halo, indicates a tick embedded just beneath the skin’s surface.
What does a small tick look like under the skin? - in detail
A small tick that has attached to a host and begun to feed appears as a compact, oval mass just beneath the epidermis. The body expands from a few millimeters to roughly 5–10 mm as it fills with blood, adopting a smooth, glistening surface. The dorsal side is typically brown to reddish‑brown, sometimes with a lighter posterior edge, while the ventral side remains hidden by the host’s skin.
Key visual characteristics include:
- Engorged abdomen: swollen, rounded shape that contrasts with the narrower anterior portion where the mouthparts emerge.
- Visible mouthparts: a short, backward‑pointing hypostome may be faintly seen as a tiny, dark projection protruding from the skin’s surface.
- Legs: six legs are visible on the anterior half; they are short, thin, and often blend with surrounding tissue, making them difficult to discern without magnification.
- Surrounding reaction: a localized erythema or small, raised bump (often called a “tick bite” lesion) may surround the parasite, sometimes with a central punctum where the feeding tube entered.
When the tick is in the early feeding stage, the abdomen is only modestly enlarged, the color remains lighter, and the surrounding skin may show minimal irritation. As feeding progresses, the abdomen becomes markedly distended, the coloration deepens, and the surrounding inflammation can increase, occasionally forming a halo of redness up to several centimeters in diameter.
Microscopic examination reveals the tick’s cuticle as a semi‑transparent layer that allows observation of internal blood filling. The hypostome is equipped with barbs that anchor the parasite firmly, preventing easy removal. The combination of a smooth, bulging body, a subtle punctum, and a faint erythematous halo defines the appearance of a tiny engorged tick beneath the skin.