Photo: from open sources
There is no need to store the tick and take it for tests – they are not informative
Ticks have already woken up and are actively clinging to people in nature. RBC-Ukraine tells how to properly remove the parasite with reference to a post by pediatrician Daria Vlasenko on Instagram.
How to remove a tick on the body
You don’t need tweezers for eyebrow correction. Also, you want the tweezers to have pointed tips, not square ones.
- Clean the area around the tick bite with alcohol
- Use clean tweezers and grab the tick as close to your skin as possible (by the head)
- Hold the tweezers to the side near the surface of the skin
- Pull the tick straight up without twisting or crushing it
- Press evenly until it releases
Other options: If you don’t have tweezers, you can use your fingers. You can also use a loop of thread around the tick’s jaws or a needle pushed between the jaws for traction. The jaws are the part of the head that is attached to the skin. You can use special hooks.
What doesn’t help
- Covering the tick with Vaseline or nail polish
- Alcohol or soapy cotton ball
How to remove a tick head
- If the tick’s head breaks off and remains in the skin, remove large parts
- Clean your skin with alcohol
- Use clean tweezers or a needle to open the head of the tick and scrape it off.
- If a small piece of the head remains, the skin will get rid of it on its own over time.
- If the tick is large, try removing it with tweezers.
- If it’s small, it needs to be scraped off – use the edge of a credit card.
What to do after deletion
After you have removed the tick, it is important to:
- After removal, wash the wound and hands with soap and water. This helps prevent any disease that the tick carries.
- Apply antibiotic ointment, such as Neosporin, once
- Do not apply antiseptics such as brilliant green or fucorcin when painting⠀
- Never crush a tick with your fingers
Dispose of live ticks:
- By placing it in alcohol
- Place it in a sealed bag/container
- Wrap it tightly with tape or
- Flush it down the toilet
- There is no need to store the tick and take it for tests – they are not informative
