Welcome to Young Adult's Journal

Some of the most treacherous things about tanning include how wonderful it feels to spend hours in the sun and how society perceives your bronze glow to be healthy.

But the fact is that sunburn, like the tan that often follows, is a sign of short-term damage from ultraviolet (UV) rays, and its effects are cumulative. You don%u2019t even need to lie in the sun or a tanning bed to develop damage. It can occur while you%u2019re walking at lunchtime, playing softball behind the middle school, picnicking in the park and, yes, skiing in the dead of winter. The sun can be hidden behind a wall of clouds, but its UV rays still pack a punch.

Chronic overexposure changes the skin%u2019s texture, and its outer layer%u2014the epidermis%u2014thickens, becomes leathery and wrinkled. Sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 or more helps, but if you%u2019re using it to spend more time in the sun, don%u2019t fool yourself that you%u2019re 100 percent safe; you can still be exposed to high doses of UV radiation.

Another treacherous thing about tanning is that because UV damage may not become evident for years afterward, sun worshipers think they%u2019re immune to its long-term effects. Like it or not, the harm done today will show up tomorrow. It%u2019s just a matter of time.

Dating is tough even under ideal circumstances, but dating someone who%u2019s undergone cancer treatment can present some special challenges.

Surviving cancer, while a triumph, is a life-altering experience. Your significant other%u2019s body may not be the same as it had been, with chemotherapy possibly causing hair loss, radiation treatments leading to skin discoloration, drug regimes resulting in weight loss or even weight gain and surgical scars. Your reaction to the physical changes will likely mean the difference between the relationship continuing or ending. More challenging, though, may be changes that aren%u2019t outwardly visible. Survivors may experience a loss of self-esteem. They can fear the future and often feel emotions such as anger, fear, sadness and frustration.

Be patient. Join a support group for spouses and partners of cancer survivors. Talk openly about intimacy and feelings of closeness. The support your significant other receives from friends and family is important, but it often can%u2019t compare to the strength derived from a close, personal relationship with you.