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How should an attached tick be removed?

Remove an attached tick promptly with clean fine-tipped tweezers or an appropriate tick-removal tool, working close to the skin and following the tool’s instructions.

Reviewed by VuxLore® Knowledge Team For People removing a tick from human skin

Short answer

Remove an attached tick promptly with clean fine-tipped tweezers or an appropriate tick-removal tool, working close to the skin and following the tool’s instructions.

At a glance

Avoid squeezing the tick’s body and do not coat or burn the tick. Clean the area and hands afterwards, then watch for symptoms and follow local medical advice.

Key takeaways

• Prompt removal is important.

• Work close to the skin without squeezing the tick’s body.

• Do not use heat, petroleum jelly or nail polish to force detachment.

• Record when and where the exposure occurred.

Before removal

Use a clean, suitable removal device and make sure you can see the attachment point clearly. Follow the specific instructions supplied with the device.

After removal

Clean the bite area and your hands. Continue checking for other ticks. Note the date and likely place of exposure in case symptoms later develop.

Relevant VuxLore tools

Compare purpose-designed options in our Tick Removal Tools collection and choose the format that suits the situation.

Tick Removal ToolsTick Removal ToolsExplore the range →VuxLore® TRIO™ — Trois crochets tire-tiques faciles à prendre en main, proposés en plusieurs tailles pratiques.VuxLore® TRIO™ — Trois crochets tire-tiques faciles à prendre en main, proposés en plusieurs tailles pratiques.View product information →VuxLore® MAX™ — Outil tire-tique à double extrémité et prise en main facile, conçu pour une manipulation maîtrisée.VuxLore® MAX™ — Outil tire-tique à double extrémité et prise en main facile, conçu pour une manipulation maîtrisée.View product information →VuxLore® POCKET™ — Carte tire-tique 8-en-1 au format carte bancaire, dotée de quatre extrémités de retrait.VuxLore® POCKET™ — Carte tire-tique 8-en-1 au format carte bancaire, dotée de quatre extrémités de retrait.View product information →

Sources and further reading

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: What to Do After a Tick Bite

NHS: Lyme disease

UK Health Security Agency: What are ticks and how can you avoid being bitten?