My old method involved shouting at them in horror, jumping up and down and basically punching the affected area until the tick was mashed. I have also used meths externally and large amounts of Stella Artois internally. All those methods left the ticks mouth parts still embedded in my skin.
The methods you suggest have all been recommended but can distress the tick (a distressed tick, now there's a thought) and cause it to regurgitate it's stomach contents - that's how the infection is passed on.
It needs to to be swift and the tick needs to off before it realises whats happening. If you are really stuck a length of fine cotton in an overhand loop tightened quickly right down next the the skin and yanked away quickly can do the trick.
Ugh, hate the things.
I'm fighting off an image of you dealing with a tick latched on behind your ear. No, I won't go there.