DR. WALLACE: I'm a girl who just turned 18 and I have very hairy legs. On top of this I'm a redhead! I guess that's better than having really dark leg hair like I'm a buffalo, but I do feel like a farm animal sometimes when I look at my legs after a few days.

All my friends told me not to shave my legs. Now they say the hair is coming back faster and thicker because I cut it and didn't just leave it alone like they recommended.

One girl even told me that having leg hair is like pruning a fruit tree. If you cut it back, there will be a bigger harvest of fruit and now I'm in full harvest mode! Help! — Feeling Like a Cavewoman, via email

FEELING LIKE A CAVEWOMAN: Cutting your leg hair does not create the "fruit" of more hair coming back! It's only an optical illusion that is due to the noticeable stubble that crops up in a few days.

Many women around the world are not thrilled to have to shave or remove leg hair for aesthetic purposes but remove it they do. You are now amongst that group and you're in good company. At this point your choices are to let it grow out or to regularly remove it. It's a personal choice that you'll be dealing with for your lifetime. Welcome to adulthood!

MY MOTHER 'CHIRPED' AT US, THEN MY FRIEND WENT HOME!

DR. WALLACE: I have a wonderful mother! She's kind, thoughtful and always has my best interests at heart. She's a single parent and I'm an only child, so we are particularly close.

As I've grown older, she has given me dating advice and even lets me use her makeup. We have a lot of fun on Saturday mornings getting all dressed up to go shopping and out to a nice lunch together. It's kind of our tradition and something we both look forward to.

Despite being so great in so many ways, my mom is of course human. Her one flaw is that she'll literally yell at me if she sees me doing something that she doesn't like or something that I'd admit was wrong. And she does not hesitate; she just barks out her displeasure right there in the moment. Later we'll talk and she'll explain calmly why she was so upset. I've kind of gotten used to her style of parenting over the years. My father has been out of the picture for 10 years now, and I think the last time he saw me I was only 6 years old.

Well, last weekend I had a new friend over at our house and it was her first time there. Everything was going great until my mom caught us goofing off and shoving each other fairly hard, even though we were laughing as we were pushing each other around. Of course mom let loose one of her patented shrieks and it truly startled my friend! My mom then went back into the garage to bring more groceries out of the car and she said nothing more since we immediately stopped horsing around.

My friend was so shocked that she told me she had to go home, and she did! At school the next day, she told me my mom was mean and that she didn't feel comfortable at our house anymore. Now I'm worried I'll be losing a new friend. Is there anything I can do about this? — Caught in the Act, via email

CAUGHT IN THE ACT: Yes, there is. Sit down with your mother, like you've done before, and ask her nicely why she was upset that time. Now we both know she was likely worried that one or both of you girls would get hurt if someone slipped or crashed into a table or other hard surface.

Then ask your mom if she'd be willing to tell your friend that she meant no harm to either one of you two girls but was just seeking to protect you both in her own way.

At this point I suggest you go back to your new friend and invite her over again, and mention that your mother will explain why she "chirped" so loudly at the two of you and that she meant no specific anger toward either of you; rather, she was seeking to protect you from yourselves. Also let your new friend know all about the many wonderful qualities your mother possesses and how much you love and respect her overall.

This will then put the situation back in your new friend's court. She can accept your new invitation to come over and speak with your mother, or she can opt not to. This situation will soon resolve itself one way or the other and you'll soon learn a valuable lesson either way.

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 rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. 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.

Photo credit: Alexandr33 at Pixabay