DR. WALLACE: I'm being raised by a single parent, my mother, and I'm a girl who is 16 and an only child. My mom and I have always been relatively close, but lately it seems to me like her personality has changed quite a bit.

She used to be very consistent with her style of parenting, the rules she had and how she spoke to me. But about three months ago, she met a new guy who is now apparently her boyfriend, and the best way I can describe my mother's current personality is that her moods tend to swing wildly

Some days she will be very nice and attentive to me, reasonable, and act like she did in the past. But there are other days where she is short, snippy, and even sometimes yells at me or tells me to take care of things myself, as if she doesn't have time for me.

I'm putting two and two together, and I feel that her mood swings are due to this new relationship she's in. I don't know much about it, or how the guy treats her. All I can see is how my mom reacts to me. Should I say anything to her, or just keep my mouth shut and stay out of her way when she's in her snippy bad moods? — My Mom Has Changed, via email

MY MOM HAS CHANGED: Yes, I feel that either you or a responsible adult you trust should intervene as soon as possible. You should not have to suffer silently and try to stay out of your mother's way regularly, especially since this is not her normal behavior over the past several years.

You and I both don't know what your mother's going through, but apparently it's not too good. Hopefully she is not abusing alcohol or any substances during the times she is acting out.

Rather than confronting your mother directly, if you have a trusted aunt, uncle or grandparent, you may want to explain the situation both to get it off your chest and to document it within your family. If you don't have any close family members, go to the nearest adult family friend you trust. When speaking about the situation, don't be unduly harsh on your mother or speculate about anything she might be doing. Instead, just mention the mood swings present now that didn't exist before. Explain that you find them concerning, you love and care about your mother very much, and you just want to make sure she's all right. Frame it in the way that you're concerned about your mother rather than annoyed with how she's treating you.

This will absolutely get the attention of family members or trusted family friends who can have an opportunity to speak to your mother directly out of your earshot. From there, hopefully things will reach stability and an overall good resolution.

COULD MY SPORTS PARTICIPATION AND ACNE BE RELATED?

DR. WALLACE: I'm a female athlete at my high school, and I've noticed that since I started to play sports competitively upon returning to school, my complexion is breaking out more than it did over the summer.

Do you think this could have anything to do with the fact that I sweat a lot when I play sports and there might be some correlation between my sweat and my complexion?

Of course I always take a shower when I get home after playing sports, but it seems to me that what I've experienced is too coincidental since my acne kicked in shortly after I started really working out hard. I don't want to quit playing sports, but I don't want to have acne problems either. What should I do? — Sports Likely Triggered My Acne, via email

SPORTS LIKELY TRIGGERED MY ACNE: Having met and spoken to many dermatologists over the years, I can tell you that you are perhaps onto something here. Anytime we sweat profusely — and certainly playing rigorous sports triggers our sweat glands — skin becomes moist and conducive for bacteria and yeast to grow. This can also be exacerbated by the fact that sweat also contains substances, including salt, that at times clog pores and can irritate the skin.

During the time you're playing sports, take regular breaks to splash clean, clear water on your face multiple times and pad it dry with a clean towel. Combine your usual rigorous hygiene with a full shower after your workout by using oil-free skin care products. In addition to these suggestions, you may want to consider visiting a local dermatologist who may recommend acne treatments that feature benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid to combat potential breakouts before they occur.

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. Email him at [email protected]. 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.

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