DR. WALLACE: I'm 15 and so are my two best friends. All three of us attend the same school and we have a lot in common. We get along great, and we even often call ourselves "the triplets"! One of my friends is very smart and the other is quite athletic. I'm decent in both of those areas, so we have a lot of fun and a lot of laughs whenever we all get together.

One friend lives in a big house with a large playroom. All three of us spend a lot of time there hanging out and studying together. My mother doesn't like my friends for some unknown reason, but what is most strange is that she has never met my friends and she says she doesn't even want to meet them!

I keep telling her that all three of us are very happy being friends, and my mom says she's still uncomfortable with them being my friends. What can I do to get my mom to quit complaining about my friends? They are both great and they come from good families. What's not to like? — Want Approval of My Friends, via email

WANT APPROVAL OF MY FRIENDS: Your mother should disclose her reservations to you regarding this matter, but be cautious and respectful in your approach to discover what they are. Specifically, why does your mother complain about you having these two girls as your best friends?

I suggest you have a peaceful, earnest talk (definitely not an argument) with your mother and point out all the positive qualities each friend of yours has and how happy you are being their friends. Suggest inviting these girls to your house so your mom can see them in person to get to know them a little better. Once she can evaluate them up close, chances are she may well relax and accept them. It could be that your mother simply feels that you always travel to their homes to study and therefore your mom feels a bit left out.

Explain to your friends that you'd like them to occasionally visit your house to study. Be sure to politely introduce each girl to your mother immediately when this opportunity arises and be sure to tell your friends how great you feel your mom is in front of them. Hopefully that will relax everyone and put your mother in a more receptive mode, which might just be what she needs to feel more comfortable.

VITAMIN C PROMOTES GOOD SKIN

DR. WALLACE: I remember a former teacher of mine telling me that vitamin C has many overall beneficial properties and that one of them is promoting healthy skin.

For years now, I've been buying and consuming vitamin C over-the-counter tablets, but at the same time I still know it's logical to garner as many healthy nutrients for my body as I can via consuming regular portions of fruits and vegetables, some of which are loaded with vitamin C.

Is it wise for me to do both? I'm doing this because I've battled skin issues for years now, and it's strange how my skin problems come and go over time. I've yet to discover what makes my skin worse and what makes it better, so I'm trying to do anything that can help me. — Skin Issues, via email

SKIN ISSUES: Vitamin C is found abundantly in citrus fruits, tomatoes, broccoli, berries, cantaloupe, cabbage and asparagus. And you are quite correct that vitamin C is an excellent promoter of healthy skin. Also be sure to drink plenty of water, exercise regularly and get proper rest, and your skin should be in the best possible position to be healthy and vibrant.

Your body does not store vitamin C, so if you take in more than you naturally need, your body absorbs what it needs for that time period and eliminates the rest. It can be unnecessarily expensive for you to pay for vitamin C supplements if you're getting enough naturally.

In any case, I do suggest that you also consider making an appointment with a local dermatologist to have your skin issues addressed and perhaps diagnosed. This field of study has made great advancements in the past few decades, so there is a lot you can benefit from when seeking professional advice in this area. You may also wish to first begin with your general family physician and seek a referral to a dermatologist via that avenue as well, if appropriate.

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.

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