It's Head Lice Season. Here's What to Know

As children return to school, families have a lot to look forward to: fresh routines, new connections, crisper weather—and a greater risk of head lice.September is National Head Lice Prevention Month in the U.S, coinciding with a time of year when infestations tend to surge. “Head lice can occur throughout the year, but cases are often noticed more frequently in late summer and early fall, when children return to school and resume close-contact activities,” says Dr. April Armstrong, chief of dermatology at the University of California, Los Angeles.Head lice is a common childhood condition, with up to 12 million head lice infestations occurring among children ages 3 to 11 every year in the U.S., according to estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The insects don’t spread disease, but they can still cause a great deal of distress, doctors say. “Having head lice is not a sign of poor hygiene, but it can cause stress and anxiety because there is this stigma that it is,” says Dr. Carla Torres Zegarra, a pediatric dermatologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado. “If left untreated, it can also be very bothersome, causing itching and disturbing sleep.” Her...