'Tween 12 and 20 by Dr. Robert Wallace

TEENS: Summer has arrived and many teens will be enjoying the warm rays of the sun to gain that great tan. But that same sun can also permanently damage skin. Southern California dermatologist Dr. Jeffrey Lauber provides the following list of important sunbathing questions and answers:

— When is the sun most dangerous?

The sun is most dangerous between noon and 2 p.m., daylight-saving time. If you do sunbathe, don't do it during these hours. And wear a highly protective sunscreen, even when you're just out and about at that time of day.

— What does SPF mean?

SPF is short for sun protection factor. The SPF rating helps you determine the amount of time you can spend in the sun safely. For example, a sunscreen with an SPF of 10 lets you stay in the sun approximately 10 times longer without burning than if you weren't wearing the sunscreen. (The higher the number, the greater the protection.)

— What are the sunburn danger zones?

The lips and the tip of the nose are extra-sensitive to the sun. The lips don't develop protective pigment the way the rest of your skin does. And because of the nose's angle on the face, it's out there catching more rays. Body areas that are normally unexposed to the direct sun are particularly vulnerable: the back of the knees, the top of the feet, even the eyelids — when you close your eyes for a sunny snooze.

— How do shade, water and weather affect sun exposure?

Since sand reflects one-quarter of the sun's rays, you definitely can get sunburned even under an umbrella; it'll just take longer. Water is actually a poor sun reflector (snow, however, reflects 200 percent of the sun's rays). And watch out for haze: Even on a cloudy day, 70 percent of the sun's rays can still reach you.

— Does the sun cause wrinkles?

Yes, it does. The amount of time you spend in the sun, the climate where you live and your skin type all affect the degree to which your skin will show sun damage. Generally, the first signs appear around the eyes, at about the age of 28. Sunscreens can slow down and even prevent some of the sun's harmful effects, but nothing can reverse the damage that's already been done.

— Can brown- or black-skinned people suffer from sunburns?

Yes. All people, regardless of skin pigmentation, can experience painful and damaging sunburns.

FEMALES ARE CONSIDERED SAFER DRIVERS

DR. WALLACE: Who are better drivers: males or females? We have a huge family argument concerning this question. Please answer as soon as you can. — Jody, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

JODY: If better means safer, then females are the winners by a wide margin. According to a survey by Prevention magazine, females are less likely to speed and more likely to wear a seat belt than males. Twenty-six percent of males drink and drive. The percentage for females is reduced to 15 percent.

Let's work hard to see that these percentages are lowered in the near future for both sexes!

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.

TWEEN 12 & 20

BY DR. ROBERT WALLACE

RELEASE: TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009, AND THEREAFTER

Teen's Best Friends are Jealous of the New Girl

DR. WALLACE: Amanda and Jillian are my best friends. We all live close to each other in the same neighborhood. About three weeks ago, Tanya moved to our neighborhood. She is our age and will attend our local school in the fall. Our families met in church, and we all sort of became friends right away.

My parents have been out to dinner with Tanya's parents, and I spent the night at her house last weekend. I introduced Tanya to Amanda and Jillian. I thought they would like her a lot, but it turned out that for some reason Amanda didn't like Tanya and convinced Jillian to think the same way.

Yesterday when I called Amanda about attending her birthday party in three weeks, I asked her if I could invite Tanya, since it would be a wonderful chance for her to meet some new friends before school starts in September. Amanda got really mad. She said no and that she didn't care if I came to her party or not, and then she hung up.

Do you think I should go to the party? — Tina, Kansas City, Mo.

TINA: It appears that Amanda and Jillian are jealous of your new friendship with Tanya. Attend the party, but don't discuss your friendship with Tanya.

If the time ever comes when you have to choose between staying close to Amanda and Jillian or with Tanya, choose Tanya!

STAY OUT OF EX-BOYFRIEND'S RELATIONSHIP BUSINESS

DR. WALLACE: Caleb and I had been dating for over nine months, but I felt smothered in the relationship and decided to break up with him. I knew doing this would be difficult because he really cared for me.

I couldn't face him, so I took the easy way out — by writing him a "Dear John" letter. I told him I'd no longer be seeing him and encouraged him to move on with his life and find another girlfriend.

A couple of weeks later, Caleb wrote to me thanking me for being honest with him. He told me he was now dating a certain girl I know.

Well, it so happens that I despise her. She had been a friend of mine several years ago, but our friendship ended because she was smoking pot and drinking with her then-boyfriend. She also became sexually active, and the stories of her sexual exploits were shocking.

Should I write a letter to warn Caleb about this girl's sordid past? — Nameless, Mobile, Ala.

NAMELESS: You encouraged Caleb to move on with his life and to find another girlfriend. This is what he did. Keep your mouth shut. Move on with your life and find another boyfriend, one that will not "smother" you.

And if he is the "smothering" type, have the courage to tell him goodbye to his face, instead of hiding behind a "Dear John" letter.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.

TWEEN 12 & 20

BY DR. ROBERT WALLACE

RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009, AND THEREAFTER

Teen Needs to Get Rid of Abusive Boyfriend

DR. WALLACE: I'm 19 and dating a guy who is 25. He is a handsome guy (I'm not so bad myself) who was a good college football player. He even played professional football for a year, but had to quit because of a knee injury. I'm an insurance underwriter and he is a salesman; we both work out of the same office. We've been going out for about six months. Most of our dates consist of going to movies, concerts and football games.

After about a month of dating this guy, I noticed that he had a mean streak in him. I was surprised how cruel he was to his dog and the terrible language he used when he was angry. Still, he was always kind to me and treated me well.

All that changed when his buddy and his wife invited us to watch a movie at their house. It turned out to be a porno movie, and my date started getting sexually aggressive after we saw the movie. When I told him to stop, he told me that no one had the right to tell him what to do, so he continued being obnoxiously aggressive. Then I slapped him in the face.

All of a sudden he started choking me. I tried prying his fingers away, but his fingers were too strong. I thought he was going to kill me. It was a horrible feeling. I couldn't breathe — there was nothing I could do to get air into my lungs. I thought of my family and that I would never see them again.

Just then his buddy came into the room and told my date, "Leave her alone." He did. I fell on the floor gasping for air. I wanted to cry, but I was afraid. Suddenly, my date was on his knees begging me to forgive him. He said that he just "snapped" and didn't realize what he was doing. I did say that I forgave him and asked him to take me home. He did without incident.

I really did like this guy. I'm not so sure now. He keeps telling me at work that he is sorry and wants to prove that this type behavior would never happen again.

What should I do? My heart tells me to give him another chance, but my head tells me to get rid of this guy soon. Please hurry with your response. — Nameless, Dallas.

NAMELESS: Those who listen to their head rather than their heart usually make the correct decision. Dump this guy immediately! This should have happened months.

POTATO CHIPS ARE THE TOP SNACK CHOICE

DR. WALLACE: Our cooking class is involved in a huge research project. We are trying to find out the most popular snack food in the United States. So far, these are our top three snacks for our class: pizza, french fries and popcorn.

I'm writing to find out your favorite snack.

Would you be so kind as to tell us? — Junior High Students from Nebraska

STUDENTS: My favorite snack is butter pecan ice cream, but since my wife has encouraged me to eat a "healthy, balanced diet," I can only remember how good it is.

According to USA Today, potato chips — at 6.1 pounds per person per year — are the most popular snack food.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.

TWEEN 12 & 20

BY DR. ROBERT WALLACE

RELEASE: THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2009, AND THEREAFTER

Teen Shouldn't Have to Wake up Early to Make Coffee for Mom

DR. WALLACE: I'm 17 and lead a hectic life. I attend high school from 8 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. and do my homework until about 5 p.m. every school day. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I attend a college class from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. On other days, I practice for a musical and have a part-time job on the weekends.

As you can see, I have little time for myself. My problem is that my mother makes me get up 15 minutes early every day to make her a pot of coffee. I wouldn't mind it, but she doesn't have a job. She is a housewife who spends three hours a day watching soap operas; she has more free time than I do.

When I try to tell mother this, she tells me to shut up and do as I am told. Do you think I have a legitimate complaint? — Nameless, Clinton, Iowa.

NAMELESS: I'm with you. I feel mother's demand is unnecessary and a bit selfish on her part.

See if mom will purchase a coffeepot with an automatic timer that starts the coffee brewing at a selected time. Then you can rig it up before retiring and set the timer to start the coffee for mom. And then you will have pleasant dreams.

TEEN HAS FEELINGS FOR TWO GUYS

DR. WALLACE: I have a most unusual situation. I'm a freshman at Indiana University and I'm in love with two guys. Before I entered college, I dated Randy. We were high school sweethearts and I love him dearly. We broke up because I thought it would be better if we dated others while I was away at school. I thought that Randy and I would date again when I returned home for summer break.

My "problem" is that Stephen has entered my life. Stephen is a sophomore from Evansville, Ind. I met him in my English class and we have dated many times. Stephen is a super individual and I've fallen in love with him. And he says that he loves me. Of course I've discussed my feelings toward Randy with Stephen, but he doesn't seem to mind. He said that, in time, he will steal my heart and I will forget all about Randy.

I am on summer break now and will have to tell Randy about Stephen, and I know he will accept it gracefully. Do you think that I've got a problem, or do you think that I'm a lucky young woman? — Kim, Bloomington, Ind.

KIM: If you are positive that Randy will not mind sharing you with Stephen, I suggest you continue your unusual, but exciting, love life. But should the time ever come when you must make a choice, you won't have to contact me to figure out which will be the lucky guy. You will know with your heart.

P.S.: Somehow I hope the winner will be your high school sweetheart — Randy!

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.

TWEEN 12 & 20

BY DR. ROBERT WALLACE

RELEASE: FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2009, AND THEREAFTER

Teen Needs to Obey Parents' Rules

DR. WALLACE: I'm a 14-year-old girl who was adopted when I was a baby. I'm an only child and live with my adoptive parents. My problem is that they're very strict. They won't allow me to date (all my friends can), and I have a 10 p.m. curfew on the weekends. If I get poor grades I'm grounded, and when I got caught skipping school (no big deal), they both cried.

I'd like to know if it's possible to disown these adoptive parents and get another set? If so, how do I do it? — Nameless, Ames, Iowa.

NAMELESS: Your adoptive parents are legally your mother and father and you're very fortunate. The rules you mentioned are reasonable. Many 14-year-old girls are not allowed to date and many have weekend curfews of 9 or 9:30 p.m. And for your information, skipping school is indeed a big deal.

Try your best to obey the rules set down by mom and dad. They make these rules to give you direction, so that you will have the chance to live a happy life. Hang in there! As you become older, you'll get more freedoms when you display a degree of maturity.

TEEN HOPES TO NOT HURT FEELINGS WHEN REFUSING DATES

DR. WALLACE: I'm not going steady so I do date around. Because of this, I get a few guys who ask me out, but I don't want to go out with them. I also don't want to hurt their feelings or appear as a stuck-up snob.

Last night, a guy in my English class called and asked me to go to a party with him on a Saturday night in a couple of weeks. I told him that I already had a date for that night, but I didn't. He said that he understood and would call me another time later. I don't want to go out with this guy, and I'm sure he will call me again. What's the best way to tell a guy "Thanks, but no thanks," without hurting his feelings? — Nameless, Phoenix.

NAMELESS: It is sufficient to say, "Thanks for the invitation, but I'd rather not go." This way, the guy knows exactly where he stands with you, and he can now move on to find someone who will appreciate his charms.

AVOID REMOVING BLACKHEADS WITH FINGERNAILS

DR. WALLACE: Lately, I have been having a lot of blackheads. I am aware that they are caused by clogged pores, not dirt specks. I want to get rid of these terrible looking things on my face, but I don't want to hurt my skin. My best friend said that she puts a very warm, wet washcloth on her face for 10 minutes, and then she pops the blackhead with her fingernails. She says most come out easily. She only has trouble with about one in five.

Do you recommend her method as a good way to remove my blackheads? — Nameless, Charlotte, N.C.

NAMELESS: No! Blackhead extraction should be performed only under the supervision of a dermatologist, says Dr. Alan Shalita, chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the State University of New York Health Science Center.

The careful removal of blackheads can indeed make the skin look better. But when the procedure is performed improperly — that is, by fingernail — squeezing can cause a rupture below the skin surface, leading to inflammation.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.

TWEEN 12 & 20

BY DR. ROBERT WALLACE

RELEASE: SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009, AND THEREAFTER

Teen Shouldn't Dump Boyfriend Even if He is a High-School Dropout

DR. WALLACE: Mike is 19 and works in his father's auto repair shop. He's intelligent, but he dropped out of high school because he was bored and didn't want to study. I'm in the 12th grade and will be attending the University of California at Irvine in September. I plan to major in elementary education. I've always dreamed of teaching younger children.

Mike and I have been dating for over two years. We really care for (love?) each other and have talked about getting married after I graduate from UCI. I've tried to convince Mike to get a GED high school diploma and then start taking a course or two at a local community college, but so far he hasn't taken my advice. I hope someday he will.

My parents are upset that I'm in a serious relationship with a high school dropout. Mike is a great guy and I wouldn't trade him for any other guy, even one with a Ph.D. He is kind, considerate, faithful, honest, and treats me the way every girl should be treated. With these excellent traits, I'm sure you will agree that they are more important than a diploma or a degree. — Hannah, San Clemente, Calif.

HANNAH: Mike is a winner with or without degrees and diplomas. Don't let him go!

I do hope, however, that he reconsiders about getting his GED; he'll find his options, and ability to support a family, severely limited without it.

PRINCIPAL COMES UP WITH UNIQUE PLAN TO DECREASE TARDIES

DR. WALLACE: Awhile back, you printed a column about a high school principal who fined students a certain amount of money when they were tardy.

I am a high school principal in Chicago and tardies have been a major concern at our school. I plan to initiate a more effective tardy program when school commences next fall.

Is it possible that you could reprint the column in question? Also, where did the fine money wind up? — Principal, Chicago.

PRINCIPAL: It's my pleasure to assist a high school principal. I wish you all the best. Your job is difficult, but working with youth is extremely enjoyable and satisfying.

TEENS: If you attend a public school, it's almost a given that your school has some sort of policy to eliminate student tardies, and it hasn't worked. As a former principal, I can tell you that we tried many different methods at Garden Grove High School, but no system was seen as totally effective. Every year, high school principals from every county in the state would meet in Sacramento, Calif., for a weekend conference to share new ideas in education. How to cut down on the number of student tardies was always a hot topic. Several of my unsuccessful tardy-elimination policies came from the conference.

I thought I had heard them all, but a high school principal in Lehi, Utah, developed a unique plan to encourage his students to get to class on time. If they're late without good cause, they have a choice: They can attend a study session on campus from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., or pay a fine of $5. The money would be used to support extracurricular activities at the school.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. E-mail him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.