INDIANAPOLIS -- Cases of head lice surge when children head back to school, but experts said students should not be kept out of class.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued updated guidelines for treating the pests, which make their homes in the scalps of 10 million kids a year, 6News' Stacia Matthews reported.

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AAP experts contend that lice should not be considered a health hazard because they do not transmit diseases or cause permanent problems, and said healthy children should not be excluded from or miss school because of an outbreak.

"The most important piece is that schools do not need to keep treated kids out of school," said Dr. Ellen Rome with the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital. "The night they have the shampoo, that morning, they can go back into school."

Experts suggest parents use a 1 percent permethrin shampoo if they see lice or eggs.

Head lice can only survive on humans, but can live off the head for three days.

"(After the shampoo), then wash all of the sheets, wash all of the clothes," Rome said. "And the next morning wash all of the sheets, wash all the clothes."

If the pests are persistent, prescription-strength treatments are available.

Indiana health officials also want to dispel the myth that only children with hygiene problems contract the bugs.

"Head lice do not discriminate," said Dana Hazen with the Indiana State Department of Health. "They can be found in children who have a perfectly clean home environment. It doesn't matter how often your child shampoos their hair."

Lice are mostly spread through head-to-head contact, so children should not share items like hats, combs, scarves and jackets, experts said.

Parents are also encouraged to check their children's scalps after they return from a sleepover or camp.

More Information: AAP: Head Lice Information