(HealthDay News) -- Many teens want their skin to cast a bronze hue, but tanning can cause significant skin damage and serious health problems.

The American Academy of Family Physicians says teens can protect themselves by:

• Using sunscreen.
• Wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
• Avoiding direct sunlight when taking an antibiotic or birth control pills.
• Avoiding tanning pills or tanning accelerators.