[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/08\/how-to-remove-a-tick\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/08\/how-to-remove-a-tick\/","headline":"How to Remove a Tick from Skin","name":"How to Remove a Tick from Skin","description":"Here's how to safely remove a tick from the skin, and clean the bite area. Remember to use clean tweezers and avoid remedies like nail polish or heat.","datePublished":"2021-08-17","dateModified":"2025-08-25","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/GettyImages-1270104024-scaled.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/GettyImages-1270104024-scaled.jpg","height":1366,"width":2048},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/08\/how-to-remove-a-tick\/","about":["Family Health","Living and Wellness"],"wordCount":864,"articleBody":"When you find a tick on your skin, or feeding off a loved one, it’s alarming. The thought of a parasitic pest feeding on your blood is gross. And ticks can carry a host of diseases.But don’t panic. Most tick bites won’t lead to disease. Plus, a tick usually has to be attached for at least 24 hours to pass on Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness.While it is important to remove a tick right away (some diseases can be transmitted in minutes), you want to remove the tick properly. So take a few deep breaths and take your time to be careful when removing a tick.Steps for Removing a TickFirst, you’ll want to find some clean, fine-tipped tweezers. Then, position the tweezers so the tips are as close to the skin as possible, at the tick’s head or mouthparts. That way, you’ll get the entire tick, without leaving any mouthparts behind. (And yes, mouthparts is the technical name for the tick parts that pierce the skin and suck up blood).Once you position your tweezers, gently squeeze and slowly pull the tick upward, with even pressure. You want to avoid twisting or jerking, as this can cause the mouthparts to break off.After removing the tick, clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. This prevents bacteria that naturally exist outside the skin from entering the body and causing infection.Avoid other techniques you may have heard about, such as nail polish, petroleum jelly, or using a hot match, for example. These techniques take longer and may not work, and it’s important not to waste time.If you notice a tick on your body within 24 to 36 hours, gently remove it with a pair of tweezers, ensuring that all mouthparts are removed. Then, rub the area with rubbing alcohol to disinfect it. Never touch a tick with bare hands. Always wear gloves and\/or use tweezers to remove them.What To Do if Part of the Tick Remains in the SkinSometimes the mouthparts break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, first re-clean the tweezers. If the remaining parts are protruding in a way that you can easily remove them with tweezers, do so. Use the same firm and steady pull.If the remaining mouthparts are stuck too deeply in the skin, leave them. Trying too hard to remove them can increase the risk of infection. As long as you remove the tick’s body, it can no longer spread disease. Plus, the skin will push out the remaining part of the tick with time.What to Do With the Tick Once It’s RemovedBe sure not to crush the tick with your fingers. Ticks can contain infectious bacteria, viruses, or parasites that could be released through crushing. Instead, place it in a sealable bag or container or drown it in 70% alcohol so it’s contained or dead before disposal.Before you throw it away or flush it, you might want to compare the tick images to try to identify the species. Many tick-borne diseases are only carried by certain species of ticks.For example, the most common tick-borne disease, Lyme Disease, is only carried by blacklegged ticks. So, determining whether your tick bite is from a blacklegged tick can help you understand if you’re at risk for Lyme.However, ticks can be very difficult to identify accurately \u2014 and not only because they are so small. Even within the same species, a fully engorged tick will look very different from an unfed tick, and males can look very different from females. A wrong identification can lead to unnecessary worry or false assurance.If you have difficulty identifying the tick, some municipalities and states offer programs that provide free or low-cost tick identification services. Try searching online for tick identification and your state. Private companies also offer this service.Should You Send the Tick for Testing?Some advice online suggests sending the tick for testing to see if it’s carrying a disease. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control doesn’t recommend doing this because the results are unlikely to be helpful.For one, a negative test result won’t guarantee that you weren’t exposed to a tick-borne illness. You could get a false negative, or the lab might not have tested for the specific pathogen the tick was carrying. Secondly, if the tick does test positive for a pathogen, that doesn’t mean the person with the tick bite will get sick.Instead of testing the tick, it’s best to monitor the person for a few weeks after the bite. If the person develops a rash, flu-like symptoms, or other new and unusual symptoms (like seizures), see a doctor.Editor's Note: This article was originally published on August 17, 2021, and was last reviewed on August 25, 2025.SourcesCDC. Lyme Disease. LinkCDC. Tick ID. LinkCDC. Tick Removal and Testing. LinkCDC. (2019). Tick Bite: What to do. LinkCaroline Picard.  (2019). How to Remove a Tick the Right Way, According to Doctors (and an Entomologist!). Good Housekeeping. LinkDepartment of Environmental Conservation, State of Alaska. Tick Identification. Link"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2021","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"08","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/\/08\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How to Remove a Tick from Skin","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/08\/how-to-remove-a-tick\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]