September is National Head Lice Prevention Month, which makes sense as kids go back to school. This year, instead of just focusing on treatments for head lice when your kids get a head lice infestation, work towards teaching them how to avoid getting head lice in the first place.

Simple steps to avoid head lice include:

• teach them to avoid sharing things that have been on or near another child's head, including hairbrushes, combs, hats, scarves, towels, helmets, etc.
• make sure your child hangs up his coat and hat on an individual hook, or some other separate area, when he gets to school, instead of just throwing them in a pile with other classmates' clothing
• regularly clean things that your child's head has direct contact with, such as car seats, pillows, head phones, etc., if you are sharing these items with other children
• check your children regularly for nits and live head lice so that you can discover a head lice infestation as early as possible and begin treatment before it spreads to the rest of your family and your child's friends and classmates.

For more information:

• Head Lice Pictures
• Head Lice Treatments for Kids
• Finding and Treating Head Lice
• Head Lice Home Remedies

_{Photo © Vincent Iannelli, MD}