What people commonly refer to as lice, is actually a group of small insects called a louse. It lives human beings, usually on the scalp. It feeds off of blood. Every year there are millions of Americans dealing with the issue of head lice or body lice. Most of these are usually children, as they are most susceptible. A school setting promotes the spread od lice since there are many children in close proximity.

The diagnosis of head lice is relatively straight forward. You can look for lice bites or the presence of shiny white eggs in the hair, but the best way to determine if somebody has head lice is to comb their hair thoroughly with a lice comb and then examine the comb afterwards for the presence of lice.

As parents, the best way to prevent head lice on our children is to check them regularly. Most schools in the United States have a no nit policy which means that children with head lice are dismissed from class until the problem is dealt with and all lice have been removed.

This can stop lice from being passed between children, yet frequently lice are not discovered until they have been transmitted from one child to another. It is therefore very important to inspect your child's hair on a regular basis, particularly if they are aged between four and twelve.

Keeping your child's hair short will help him avoid picking up nits. If he does become infected, however, you must wash all bedding and towels and treat his head at least once to get rid of the problem. Do not send your child to school while he has an active infestation, because head lice pass from child to child very quickly. The most obvious clue that a child has head lice is if you see him continually scratching or digging at his head and scalp.

Several options for treatment are now available for removing a lice infestation. If you or your child runs into that problem, you can choose from natural products and hot hair to silicone based lotions currently on the market. Remember though, no one treatment method is always effective to finish the job completely. Prevent a reoccurrence by keeping a close eye on the situation.