A tick with no head will look like a small brown ball, sometimes with markings, that is filled with blood. The amount of blood that a tick has drank will affect the color of it. It is quite difficult to identify a tick body unless you know that it has come directly from the body. It is very common for ticks to come away from the skin without their heads. In these cases it is a wise idea to try and remove the tick's head from the skin. Although the chances are slim, ticks can pass on Lyme disease. This is something that is very difficult to treat and can have some nasty side effects.
Tick heads cannot live very long without their bodies but to avoid their poison getting into the blood they should be removed. There are many suggested ways to remove ticks and the first anyone will suggest is to use tweezers. This is not always the best plan. Using tweezers will often result in the tick's head being pinched and squeezed by the tools. When this happens there is a chance that any poison left remaining in the head will be squeezed into the blood. Tweezers can be used with care but do make sure that they have been sterilized, preferably in rubbing alcohol. A sterilized needle can also be used to remove a tick's head. Getting the needle into the skin and just under the tick head can help prise the head out rather than pinch it out. This can be done in a way that is quite similar to the removal of a splinter.
If it becoming extremely difficult to remove the tick head from the body there are two options. Either leave it to die and drop out of its own accord or seek the advice of a doctor. If the bite appears to look redder or infected or the person develops a rash, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible.
Tick heads cannot live very long without their bodies but to avoid their poison getting into the blood they should be removed. There are many suggested ways to remove ticks and the first anyone will suggest is to use tweezers. This is not always the best plan. Using tweezers will often result in the tick's head being pinched and squeezed by the tools. When this happens there is a chance that any poison left remaining in the head will be squeezed into the blood. Tweezers can be used with care but do make sure that they have been sterilized, preferably in rubbing alcohol. A sterilized needle can also be used to remove a tick's head. Getting the needle into the skin and just under the tick head can help prise the head out rather than pinch it out. This can be done in a way that is quite similar to the removal of a splinter.
If it becoming extremely difficult to remove the tick head from the body there are two options. Either leave it to die and drop out of its own accord or seek the advice of a doctor. If the bite appears to look redder or infected or the person develops a rash, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible.
