Yes, ticks can get into your hair. An unattached tick may crawl through strands after you walk through tall grass, brush, or leaf litter.
An attached tick can anchor to your scalp and feed. Finding one does not mean you will become ill, but prompt, careful removal lowers your risk.
Check your hairline, scalp, neck, and the area behind your ears after outdoor exposure. Remove any tick with fine-tipped tweezers and watch for symptoms.
A partner can help you inspect thick hair, especially if you cannot see your own scalp clearly.
How Ticks Get Into Hair and Where They Hide
Ticks usually reach your hair when vegetation brushes against your head or clothing. They may remain hidden temporarily before moving toward exposed skin and beginning tick attachment.
A careful check soon after coming indoors is worthwhile.
Why Hair Is a Temporary Hiding Place
Hair gives unattached ticks shelter from view and makes them harder to notice. A tick does not burrow into the hair shaft, but it can crawl between strands until it reaches skin.
After hiking, gardening, camping, or playing near vegetation, inspect yourself promptly. Showering and washing your hair can help remove unattached ticks before they attach.
Attached ticks require direct removal.
Scalp Areas to Check First
Use bright light and separate your hair in small sections. Pay close attention to:
- The hairline and nape of your neck
- Behind the ears
Check the crown and sides of your scalp. Look at areas where hair is thick or difficult to part, as well as your clothing, collar, and upper back.
Look for tiny dark or brown specks that move, or a bump firmly anchored to the skin. Ask someone you trust to check your scalp if possible.
How to Check and Remove a Tick From Your Scalp
A methodical inspection helps you distinguish an unattached tick from one attached to your scalp. Use a fine-toothed comb for loose ticks.
Use fine-tipped tweezers for any tick gripping the skin.
Finding Ticks With a Comb and Mirror
Stand under bright light and use a mirror, or ask another person to inspect your scalp. Divide your hair into sections and draw a fine-toothed comb from the roots outward.
Pay special attention to the hairline and behind the ears. Wear gloves if available.
Pick up unattached ticks with tissue, gloved fingers, or tweezers without crushing them. Place them in rubbing alcohol for disposal, or preserve one in a sealed container if a healthcare professional advises identification.
Safe Tick Removal With Fine-Tipped Tweezers
Part your hair and expose the tick clearly. Place fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin as possible, gripping the tick at its head or mouthparts rather than its swollen body.
Pull upward with slow, steady pressure. Do not twist, jerk, squeeze, burn, or cover the tick with petroleum jelly or nail polish.
If the tick breaks, remains embedded, or is difficult to reach, contact a healthcare professional for tick removal.
Cleaning the Bite and Disposing of the Tick
Wash your hands and clean the tick bite with soap and water. You can apply rubbing alcohol around the area, followed by antiseptic cream if appropriate for your skin.
To preserve the tick for possible identification, place it in a sealed container without alcohol. If you are discarding it, place it in alcohol or seal it securely in tape or a container before putting it in the trash.
Do not crush it with your bare fingers.
When a Tick Bite Needs Medical Attention
Most tick bites do not lead to illness, especially when you remove the tick promptly. Contact a healthcare professional if you cannot remove the tick, it was deeply embedded, or you develop concerning symptoms after exposure.
Symptoms to Watch for After Removal
Monitor the bite area and your health for the next several weeks. Seek medical advice if you develop:
- Fever or chills
- Headache, unusual fatigue, or muscle aches
- A spreading rash
- Joint pain
Watch for increasing swelling, warmth, drainage, or pain at the bite site. Swollen lymph nodes or facial weakness also warrant medical attention.
A small amount of redness immediately after removal can be a local reaction. A spreading rash, persistent fever, or worsening symptoms may indicate a tick-borne disease and deserves prompt evaluation.
Keep notes about the bite date, location, and possible outdoor exposure.
Tick-Borne Illnesses Linked to Common Species
The risk varies by region, tick species, and how long the tick remained attached. Black-legged ticks can transmit Lyme disease and other infections.
Dog ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and, less commonly, tularemia. Do not rely on appearance alone to identify a tick or predict illness.
A clinician can assess your symptoms, location, exposure, and the tick if you saved it. Guidance on tick-bite symptoms and potential diseases includes Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tularemia among conditions requiring attention.
Preventing Ticks From Reaching Your Hair
Effective tick prevention combines repellent, protective clothing, and a careful inspection after time outdoors. You can reduce exposure by avoiding brush and tall grass when practical.
Stay on maintained trails, and keep long hair secured.
Repellent and Clothing Choices
Use an EPA-registered tick repellent according to its label. Products containing DEET or picaridin can protect exposed skin.
Permethrin-treated clothing and gear can help repel or kill ticks. Do not apply permethrin directly to skin.
Wear light-colored clothing so ticks are easier to spot. Long sleeves, long pants, socks, and closed shoes provide added coverage.
Tuck pants into socks when walking through dense vegetation. Follow product directions carefully, especially for children and pets.
Post-Outdoor Tick Checks
Check your hair, scalp, hairline, neck, behind your ears, waist, groin, underarms, and the backs of your knees after outdoor activity.
Ask someone to inspect areas you cannot see. Check children and pets as well.
Shower and wash your hair soon after coming indoors.
Put worn clothing in a hot dryer before washing when the fabric allows. Heat kills ticks hiding in clothing.
Prompt checks help you find ticks before they attach and cause tick bites.
