What is the correct way to remove a tick?

Pull it straight out with fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible — right by the mouthparts, not the body — and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist, jerk, or use matches, petroleum jelly, nail polish, or freezer, which are folklore that makes things worse. If the mouth breaks off, remove it like a splinter, then clean the bite with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.