How to Remove a Tick

The arrival of summer — and, along with it, all sorts of outdoor activities — also ushers in the arrival of ticks. This guide covers what to do in the event that you find a tick that has already bitten you and embedded itself in your skin. However, the best thing to do is to take a few precautions that’ll increase your chances of not having to extricate a tick from your person to begin with:

• Wear long-sleeved clothing — especially pants, as it’s often our legs that are most exposed to the grass and plants that we brush up against when outdoors.
• Ticks are particularly prone to moist and humid areas, so be especially careful in those conditions.
• Use repellent with DEET.
• When you’ve come indoors after spending time outdoors, check your clothing for ticks.
• After you’ve checked your clothing, shower soon after, and inspect yourself (including those hard-to-reach areas) for the buggers.

Ticks typically don’t transmit their disease-causing bacteria for 36-48 hours, so even if you are bitten by one, if you promptly identify and remove it, you’ll likely avoid a bad outcome.

While you must be vigilant when it comes to ticks, following the tips above will ensure you’re always safe rather than sorry.

Illustration by Ted Slampyak