PROM NIGHT TIPS

The prom is one of the most important events in your high school experience - a special night to look forward to and fantasize about for months beforehand. For some teens, though, the prom may seem like a big drag - or even worse, a big worry.

What if you don't have enough money to get the dress you've been ogling or the limousine your girlfriend has to have? Is the fear of rejection keeping you from asking the hottie in your French class to be your date? Worried you'll waste your time at the party afterward taking care of your drunk friends?

Your Money
With a little bit of planning and creativity, the prom doesn't have to cost a fortune for guys or girls. Less expensive options include:

Try renting dresses or tuxedos or paying for them in installments, if you don't want to blow a wad of cash.
Thrift shopping for cool finds is a great way to get style on the cheap. Funky vintage shoes, purses, jewelry, and other accessories are often available. If you can't afford a trip to a beauty salon, go to a drugstore with a friend and treat yourselves to some new beauty supplies. You can spend the afternoon helping one another primp to perfection. Instead of an expensive restaurant, opt for a romantic picnic dinner in the park.

If you need to ask a parent or other family member for help with your finances, offer to make up the cash by doing chores around the house like mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, or babysitting your little brother or sister.

Your Self
We all feel the sting of rejection from time to time, and as much as we'd like to avoid it completely, who wants to be afraid of taking a chance?

If you gather up the courage to ask the big question and you're turned down, remember whose loss it is - not yours! This works the other way around, too; if you need to decline an offer, do it politely and graciously. Try to step back and remember what it's like to be in the other person's shoes.

The important thing is to find a date you know you'll enjoy spending the evening with, whether it's a friend, boyfriend or girlfriend, or the object of your secret desire. Keep in mind that many teens attend the prom with a group of friends rather than a date. Who better to spend the evening with than those who love you for who you are? As you laugh and dance the night away, you may forget that what's-his-name turned you down anyway.

Instead of going to desperate measures, try exercising regularly and eating a variety of healthy foods in preparation for the event. Drink tons of water and get plenty of rest, especially on the days leading up to the prom, to help you look and feel healthy and beautiful.

Exercising and eating right will also give your skin a healthy glow - without wasting your time and money in tanning beds. The concentration of light produced in a tanning bed is about five times greater than that from the sun and ultimately can harm your skin! You may think you look better with a tan, but your skin can pay the price later in many ways, including excessive premature wrinkling and an increased risk for skin cancer. Check out tanning products that allow you to get a gorgeous glow safely, such as sunless tanners that you can apply a few hours before the prom.

No matter what body type you have or how much money you spend, remember: confidence is what makes you look good!

Your Safety
You can have a blast on prom night without putting yourself at risk. There are lots of choices you'll need to make, but drinking or doing other drugs before or after the prom shouldn't be one of them. For one thing, they impair your judgment in ways that you could deeply regret later. You could risk making a fool of yourself - or worse. It's not worth putting yourself in a situation where your memories of the prom may be damaged by an evening that got out of hand.

Don't drink and drive or let your friends do it. All that stuff that your parents and teachers preach about designated drivers is true and really saves lives. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), on one of the most popular prom nights in 1999 as many as 62% of the overall traffic fatalities were alcohol-related! (And both drinking and doing drugs are illegal - and can lead to serious trouble that could affect the rest of your life.)

Many teens may think that prom night is an appropriate time to lose their virginity. This is an important personal decision that involves many factors and should not be taken lightly. So don't let anyone pressure you into having sex because it's a special night - your night will be even more memorable if your memories are happy instead of regretful.