DOH!! is this a stupid question??

[biryani]

Yesterday my face caught the sun and is now brownish. I wear a high SPF moisturiser and foundation, and normally the sun doesn't get through to tan me.

Question: does the fact that I'm brown mean I'm now "sun-damaged" , or will my SPF covering protect me??

The SPF will stop you burning. It sounds like you didn't burn. The burning is the sun damage...

but i'm no expert..

Brown is still sun-damaged. When you see leathery brown people with George Hamilton tans, they haven't burned but their skin is very much sun-damaged. That is what a tan is.

If you tan easily then you may be at a lower risk of getting skin cancer than someone very fair, but that tan is there because your skin has been damaged whilst trying to protect itself from the sun.