Thanks for your very good question.
This is a question that gets posed quite a bit, and the answer is always a good one. Both TCA and IPL are excellent choices for reversing signs of sun damage and evening out skin tone. The combination of the two will give even better results. I will explain:
TCA is an optimal choice for patients with lentigos or mottled hyperpigmentation due to chronic sun exposure. It will work extremely well in renewing the skin and delivering a porcelain white, fresh, new appearance that patients generally love. The downtime is considerable, and the pain with the peel can be quite uncomfortable, although only for a couple minutes. It will not do anything for vessels, so if there is a reddish hue underlying the photodamage, that may remain. A TCA should be redone every 3-4 months for continuing optimal benefit.
IPL will target both redness and hyperpigmenation and is an excellent choice to even out the skin. It will take multiple treatments with very minimal downtime. The results can be augmented by doing a TCA to improve texture and acheive an even greater reduction in hyperpigmentation.
To specifically answer your question, you can't go wrong with either. But, if redness is a predominant feature of your sundamage, do the IPL and follow later with a TCA. If the dark spots are the primary concern, you can do either first, but a TCA should give you immediate results that, if done right, you should love.
Good luck!
