How to Stay Calm When You Discover Unwanted “Guests” in Your Child’s Hair

Finding a creepy-crawly on your child is enough to make any parent’s heart race, but taking a deep breath and acting methodically is the best way to handle it.

The image shows an engorged tick next to a child's head. While many people immediately panic about lice when they think of bugs in hair, a tick requires a completely different, immediate response. Ticks latch onto the skin to feed, rather than infesting the hair itself like lice.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to stay calm and handle the situation effectively.

1. Take a Breath and Assess

Before reacting, remind yourself that finding a tick is incredibly common, especially if your child has been playing outdoors, near tall grass, or in wooded areas.

• Do not panic or scream: This will only frighten your child and make it harder for them to sit still while you remove it.

• Locate the tick: Part the hair to see exactly where the tick has attached itself to the scalp.

2. Safe and Immediate Removal

The goal is to remove the tick as soon as possible. Do not try to smother it with petroleum jelly, nail polish, or a hot match—these old myths can actually cause the tick to regurgitate fluids into the skin, increasing the risk of infection: 

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