Tickpedia
Removal · field guidance

Dealing with broken-off mouthparts after removal

If the head or hypostome stays in the skin, try once with tweezers; if it won't come, leave it — the body will extrude it like a splinter.

Steps

schema.org/HowTo
  1. 01
    Examine the bite under bright light and magnification — broken mouthparts look like a tiny black splinter.
  2. 02
    Try once: grasp the visible piece with the tip of fine-tweezers and lift straight up.
  3. 03
    If it doesn't come on the first attempt, stop digging — gouging causes more inflammation than the fragment itself.
  4. 04
    Clean the bite with soap and water, then alcohol.
  5. 05
    Watch for redness, warmth, or pus over the next 7 days; small fragments typically extrude within 1-2 weeks.
  6. 06
    See a clinician if redness expands, the area becomes painful, or systemic symptoms appear.

Wild facts

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