What to Do If You Find a Tick on Your Body, According to an Expert

Ticks are common parasites that feed on wildlife, pets, and people throughout North America. Most ticks that bite humans belong to a group known as "hard ticks," named for their hard outer exoskeleton, says Dr. Pete Teel, an entomologist and tick expert from Texas A&M University. While they thrive in wooded and brush-covered areas, ticks also live in parks, green spaces, and suburban neighborhoods across the United States. Taking precautions before spending time outdoors can help prevent bites and reduce your risk of tick-borne illnesses.

If you're exploring nature this summer or doing yard work on your property, you may come into contact with a tick. To learn what to do if you find one on yourself—and how to prevent future bites—Teel explains how to safely remove a tick, when to seek medical attention, and the best ways to keep ticks off of you.

Remove It Immediately

To remove a tick that is attached to your skin, grab it and slowly pull it away from the skin's surface. The CDC recommends using fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible. However, be careful not to use excessive pressure or the tick will be crushed.

When you grab it, don't twist or jerk. "The head of the tick that is embedded in the skin is attached to the main tick body by a thin cuticle, compared to the thick cuticle that is the hard exoskeleton; thus, a twisting or jerking motion will likely separate the body, leaving the head embedded in the skin," Teel explains.

A common tick removal myth is that a tick will detach on its own if you put solvents on it—while that's not true, the solvents present another issue. "These methods agitate the tick, likely increasing salivation into the feeding wound and raising the risk that pathogens will enter," he says.

Save the Tick for Identification

Once you have removed the tick from your skin, place it in an airtight container or sealable sandwich bag and store it in a cool place, such as the refrigerator. Note the date on the container or bag so that, if any symptoms occur, you can provide your healthcare provider with the exact date you removed the tick, and they can test the tick for tick-borne pathogens if needed. (The CDC notes that saving the tick for identification can be helpful, but tick testing has limitations and should not be used alone to make treatment decisions.)

Treat the Bite Site

Treat the tick bite site with rubbing alcohol or wash the area with soap and warm water to prevent secondary infection, Teel says. Continue to watch the bite site for any changes in appearance, and monitor your overall health.

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When to Seek Medical Attention

In some circumstances, a healthcare provider may recommend a single preventive dose of doxycycline within 72 hours of tick removal if the bite is considered high risk for Lyme disease.

Contact your healthcare provider if you notice a skin rash, expanding sores at the bite site, a headache, fever, muscle aches, or flu-like symptoms. "Rashes can appear as red, inflamed areas, some may appear as rings, resembling a target, or they may appear as a spotted rash," Teel says.

Let them know that you have been exposed to a tick bite on the specific date and location, and that you have preserved the tick for examination if needed.

How to Prevent Future Tick Bites

To prevent tick bites, Teel recommends several precautions. The first is to be aware of the environment you're entering. Depending on where you are, the area may be considered a low-, moderate-, or high-risk tick zone. Knowing what you're getting into can help you take appropriate preventative measures.

Wear clothing that minimizes skin exposure to ticks when possible. Wearing light, breathable clothes allows you to cover up and easily spot them if they attach to your clothing. If you plan to spend extended periods outdoors in wooded areas, Teel recommends using strips of 2-inch-wide masking tape, folded lengthwise and wrapped around boot tops, or higher, at calf level or just above the knee, so that ticks crawling up the pant leg get trapped on the sticky surface of the tape.

Apply tick repellents in accordance with labeled guidance. The most effective repellents contain DEET, picaridin, or IR3535, and their product labels indicate they are effective against ticks, according to the New York City Health Department's Tick Prevention release.

After spending time in a tick-exposed environment, check yourself and family members for both loose and attached ticks, and remove them as soon as possible if you find one. Placing dry clothing in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes can help kill ticks that have attached to your clothes, according to the release. Bathe or shower as soon as possible after being outdoors, too, and check your hair for ticks.