Are Ticks Lurking on Your Skin? How to do a Tick Check

You’ve dressed properly then went on a hike so you’re pretty sure you don’t have any ticks. But the ticks are clever and sometimes really tiny. See the period at the end of this sentence; that’s how small a tick can be. You NEED to do a tick check after you hike. You can even do them periodically DURING your hike. The sooner you can get them off you, the better.

Here’s how:

• Ideally, you want to be in your bathroom (the floor tiles will prevent them from hiding – you don’t want a tick living in your carpet).  Start from the ground up. 
  • Before you take off your clothes, check them.  If you were wearing light-colored clothing, maybe you can spot them easily.
  • Take off the shoes and check them.
  • Roll down your socks a couple inches and check your legs.
  • Unzip your pants and check around your waistband.
  • Roll up your sleeves and check your arms.
  • Check around the color of your shirt.
  • Check your hair.
• Take off the clothes.  Start again from the ground and move upwards.
  • Check your feet and between your toes.
  • Check your legs and behind your knees.
  • Check the groin (between, inside, outside, everywhere).
  • Check your body, your belly button, your arms, your armpits.
  • Check your neck, ears, and hair thoroughly.
  • Use a hand mirror or a magnifying mirror if you have to.
  • This may seem excessive but ticks love warm places.
• After you are done checking, take a shower.
  • While you are washing, feel for any hard bumps indicating a tick that you may have missed.
  • If you feel something that shouldn’t be there, look at it again.
• Each day for the next few days, do the tick check.
  • If you picked one up, they will be bigger since they are attached and feeding on your blood.
  • If you see any red rashes, if your skin feels inflamed or you get a fever, call your doctor immediately, even if you don’t see the tick.

What to do if you find a tick:

• Don’t panic! Yea, I know that’s hard when you first see one but it’s really important not to freak out your kids. Just remain calm. (If bugs scare you, call your doctor and have him/her remove it for you.)
• The tick attaches to the skin using his mouth.
  • With your tweezers, gently put them around the tick as close to the skin as possible.
  • Firmly pull the tick straight back (in the direction of the tick’s butt).
  • Be careful not to squeeze the tweezers too hard; the goal is to get all of the tick in one piece, not squish him.
  • Also, do not twist the tick or you may leave mouth parts inside your skin. (If that happens, try to remove the rest of the tick with your tweezers.)
• Place the tick into a plastic bag and seal it. Wash the area with rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or other type of disinfectant.
• Monitor the area for the next few days to see if a red bulls-eye type rash (or any type of rash) develops. If the area seems inflamed or has a rash or you develop a fever, see your doctor immediately and don’t forget to bring the tick.

Side Note:

If the thought of your tweezers around the body of a tick sends shivers down your spine, for less than $5 you can invest in a tick remover (also called a tick spoon or tick key). Directions for using them are on the package. Tick removers are found in most stores that sell camping equipment or on their websites. Here’s a list of online places:

• basspro.com
• cabelas.com
• campmor.com (my favorite – check out their Paramus store!)
• dickssportinggoods.com
• ems.com
• ramseyoutdoor.com
• rei.com