Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Remove single character
• Method 2 of 3: Remove stuck ticks
• Method 3 of 3: Get rid of the tick
• Tips
• Warnings

Cycling, hiking, and other outdoor activities can be a fun way to spend the summer, but you can also get ticks as a result. If a tick has fallen into your hair or gotten onto your scalp, remove it quickly with a comb, tweezers, and disinfectant. You can keep the tick if you want to have it checked for disease. Otherwise, dispose of the tick so it can never get into your hair again.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Remove single character

1. Ask someone to check your scalp. Make sure the person puts on gloves beforehand. Ask him or her to check your entire head and scalp. Ticks can be quite small, so make sure the person looks for tiny brown or black spots on your skin.
   • If the other person sees loose ticks, have them pick them up with gloved fingers, a tissue, or tweezers.
   • It's easiest if someone else takes the mark out of your hair for you, but if you're doing this yourself, check your scalp with the help of a mirror.
2. Comb your hair. Use a fine-tooth comb to comb your hair and to loosen any ticks that may be hiding in your hair. If any ticks fall out of your hair or get stuck in the comb, put them in a cup of alcohol to kill them.
3. Wash your hair. Within two hours of entering, take a shower and wash your hair with normal shampoo. This can help flush out ticks before they can stick to your skin. Doing this soon after you go in will reduce the chance that the ticks will burrow into your skin.

Method 2 of 3: Remove stuck ticks

1. Comb your hair away. You may need to pull the hair away from the tick for access. Use a comb or toothbrush to brush the hair to the side. Be careful not to touch the tick. Secure your hair with a clip so it doesn't hang from the tick.
2. Grab the tick with tweezers. Grab the tick as close to the skin surface as possible with the tweezers. Do not hold the tick by its stomach if it is swollen. It can inject fluids into your body that can cause illness.
   • Many tick removal tools are sold, such as tick removers. You can also use such a tool instead of tweezers. You then pull the tick out of the skin in the same way.
   • If you don't have tweezers, you can also use gloved fingers or a tissue. However, that is more difficult. Be careful not to squeeze or crush the tick.
3. Pull the tick straight out of the skin. Do not twist or yank the tick, or the tick could break off and leave parts of its mouth in your body. Instead, pull the tick straight out of the skin with a steady hand.
4. Dab a disinfectant on the area to kill germs. Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol, iodine, antiseptic cream, or another disinfectant. Apply the product gently to the site of the tick bite. Wash your hands when you are done.
5. Do not choke or burn the tick. Try not to suffocate the tick by smearing nail polish or petroleum jelly on the tick when it is stuck to your skin. Burning the tick can injure yourself without removing the tick. These methods can cause the tick to burrow deeper into your skin or inject fluids into your body.
6. If you are unable to remove a tick, see a doctor. If you find it difficult to remove the tick, see a doctor immediately so he or she can do it for you. See a doctor if you have symptoms such as a rash, fever, joint pain or swelling where you were bitten for up to two weeks after removing the tick.
   • Ticks can carry a variety of illnesses such as Lyme disease, Colorado tick fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Method 3 of 3: Get rid of the tick

1. Put the tick in a container that you can close properly if you want to have it tested for disease. You can use a jar, resealable plastic bag, or other container that you can seal. If you develop symptoms within two weeks of getting the bite, take the jar with you to the doctor. The doctor can send the tick to have it tested.
   • If you want to keep a tick for testing, don't crush it, burn it, or put it in alcohol. Just put it in the package and leave it there until you are ready to have it tested.
   • Medical examinations can be expensive. Even if the tick carries a disease, that does not mean that you have become infected with it.
2. Tape the tick to a piece of paper to find out what species it belongs to. Stick the tick on a piece of paper with a sturdy piece of transparent tape as a packing tape. This way you can keep the tick until you find out what kind of tick it is. Which diseases a tick carries differs per tick species. If you get sick, this information can help your doctor make a diagnosis.
   • You can take the tick to the doctor or look up information on the internet about different tick species to determine the type for yourself.
   • Deer ticks are more likely to carry Lyme disease, while shield ticks and dog ticks can give you Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
3. Drown the tick in alcohol to kill it. Kill the tick with alcohol if you don't want to keep it. Fill a cup or bowl with rubbing alcohol and put the tick in it. Let the cup stand for a few minutes. This will likely kill the tick.
4. Flush the tick down the toilet to get rid of it permanently. To be on the safe side, do not throw the tick in the trash. Instead, wrap it in toilet paper and flush it down the toilet. That way you can be sure that the tick has left your home.
5. Be careful when you go outside to avoid tick bites. The next time you go outside, try to prevent ticks from sticking to you. There are many things you can do to reduce your chances of getting a tick bite.
   • Apply an insect repellent containing DEET. If you have children, apply the product for them.
   • Use permethrin on all your clothes and belongings. You can usually buy this at outdoor stores and hardware stores.
   • Check everyone who enters your house for ticks. Pay particular attention to the arms, knees, waist, navel, ears and hair. Don't forget to check your pets too.
   • After you go in, put your clothes in the dryer on a high heat setting for an hour to kill any ticks hiding in your clothes.
   • You can see the ticks more easily on light-colored clothes. If possible, wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and boots. Tuck in your clothes.

Tips

• Always check yourself for ticks in the summer after working in the garden, walking, playing in the grass, or doing anything else outside.

Warnings

• Never crush or squeeze a tick with your fingers, especially if it is an engorged tick. The tick can leak fluids that can cause illness.