Red Light Therapy for Chest: Wrinkles, Sun Damage and Muscles
Red light therapy for chest skin draws its closest evidence from trials on sun-aged skin of the face, décolletage and neck: in a 2025 sham-controlled neck trial, 630 and 850 nm light improved neck wrinkles in 77.1% of people at week 12, against 8.6% with sham. For chest muscles, reviews of light before exercise point to small gains in performance. Below: why the upper chest shows sun damage, what the trials used, which marks need a dermatologist, timelines, darker skin, routine order, training days and panel set-up.
Key takeaways
- In a 2014 controlled trial whose light units included one built for the face and décolletage, blinded reviewers rated wrinkles improved in 69% of the red light group, against 4% of untreated controls. Wunsch and Matuschka, 2014
- In a 2025 sham-controlled trial of 70 adults, 630 and 850 nm light on the neck for 9 minutes a day, 5 days a week, improved investigator-rated wrinkles in 77.1% at week 12, against 8.6% with sham. Park, 2025
- Mayo Clinic lists uneven colouring on the neck and chest, called poikiloderma, among the signs of sun damage. Mayo Clinic, 2026
- Harvard Health says red light devices must be used multiple times a week for four to six months. Harvard Health, 2025
- A 2018 review of 39 trials with 861 healthy people found positive effects on muscle performance with light at 655 to 950 nm, with evidence rated very low to moderate quality. Vanin, 2018
Why does the upper chest show sun damage so clearly?
The upper chest gets years of sun and is often missed when sunscreen goes on. That shows up as lines, crepey texture, brown spots, broken vessels and a red-brown patch in a V shape.
A Cleveland Clinic dermatologist notes it is "easy to overlook our neck and décolletage". Cleveland Clinic, 2024 A Skin Cancer Foundation dermatologist estimates that "more than 90 percent of wrinkles associated with aging" come from cumulative sun damage. Skin Cancer Foundation, 2025
- Poikiloderma: red-brown, uneven colouring on the sides of the neck and upper chest, usually in a V from the neck toward the centre of the chest. It is most common in fair skin and in women after menopause. Cleveland Clinic, 2022
- Broken vessels: "it's also common for large blood vessels to appear on the chest." Skin Cancer Foundation, 2025
- Brown spots: flat brown spots (solar lentigines) on the face, hands, arms and upper body. Mayo Clinic, 2026
- Rough, scaly patches: actinic keratoses, which Mayo Clinic says can develop into squamous cell carcinoma.
Our guide to red light therapy for sun damage covers these signs across the whole body.
Does red light therapy for chest wrinkles work?
The closest evidence is encouraging: a controlled trial that included a face-and-décolletage light unit found better collagen scores, smoother skin and fewer visible wrinkles than in untreated controls. No result was reported for the chest itself, so the trial shows what this light does to sun-aged skin rather than giving a chest figure.
The German trial enrolled 136 adults aged 27 to 79. Wunsch and Matuschka, 2014 One unit "was designed for the local treatment of the face and décolletage area"; the others lit the whole body, front and back. People had 30 sessions, twice a week. The results:
- Collagen: the collagen score rose by 5.75 with red light and fell by 0.26 in controls.
- Roughness: roughness fell by 1.79 with red light and rose by 0.95 in controls.
- Wrinkles: blinded reviewers rated 69% of the red light group improved, against 4% of controls.
Red light alone (611 to 650 nm) did as well as a broader 570 to 850 nm spectrum. The controls received no light rather than a sham, so this is a controlled comparison rather than a sham trial.
The AAD describes facial results from red light as "subtle to noticeable" for fine lines, wrinkles, rough texture and loose skin. AAD, 2024 That is a fair expectation for the chest. For thin, finely lined skin, see red light therapy for crepey skin.
What did the neck trials find, and do they apply to the upper chest?
Two neck trials used 630 nm red with 850 nm near-infrared and found smoother, firmer neck skin, one of them against a sham device. The neck sits right above the décolletage and gets the same sun, so these are the nearest trials for the upper chest.
In the larger, double-blind trial, 70 adults aged 31 to 63 were analysed. Park, 2025 Investigator-rated neck wrinkles improved in:
- Week 4: 42.9% with light, against 2.9% with sham.
- Week 8: 65.7% against 14.3%.
- Week 12: 77.1% against 8.6%.
- Week 16: 80.0% against 22.9%, four weeks after the last session.
In the second trial, 30 women aged 30 to 47 used a home neck device for 9 minutes daily for 16 weeks, with no control group. Lee, 2021 Wrinkle scores were lower at 16 weeks and still lower 8 weeks after stopping.
A 2024 review cites authors who recommended "the combination of both RL and NIR when treating photoaging". Hernández-Bule, 2024 Our red light therapy for neck article covers these trials in more depth.
What settings did the chest and neck light trials use?
The skin trials used 611 to 650 nm red, mostly with 850 nm near-infrared, at gentle outputs of about 6 to 25 mW/cm², for 9 to 25 minutes, twice a week to daily, over 12 to 16 weeks. All of them shone light on the skin from outside the body.
| Trial | Area | Light | Output | Minutes | Sessions a week | Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wunsch and Matuschka, 2014 | Face and décolletage unit | 611 to 650 nm red within 570 to 850 nm | 7.1 mW/cm² red band; 8.5 J/cm² | 20 | 2 | About 15 (30 sessions) |
| Wunsch and Matuschka, 2014 | Whole-body units | 611 to 650 nm, or 570 to 850 nm | 5.9 to 13.3 mW/cm² red band | 12 to 25 | 2 | About 15 (30 sessions) |
| Lee, 2021 | Neck | 630 + 850 nm | 25 mW/cm² total | 9 | 7 | 16 |
| Park, 2025 (sham) | Neck | 630 + 850 nm | 14 + 8 mW/cm² | 9 | 5 | 12 |
Research on dose shows low doses often stimulate repair better than high ones. Huang, 2009 So start low and short, then build up slowly.
Can red light fade a red-brown "V", broken vessels or brown spots on the chest?
For these specific marks, dermatologists reach first for sunscreen, creams, lasers and intense pulsed light (IPL). Red light fits alongside them as a skin quality routine, not as a vessel or spot treatment.
| Chest sign | What dermatologists use | Where red light fits |
|---|---|---|
| Red-brown V (poikiloderma) | Sunscreen, no perfume on the area, creams, pulsed dye laser, IPL | Not a vessel treatment; see a dermatologist |
| Broken vessels | Lasers | Not a vessel treatment |
| Brown sun spots | IPL, laser resurfacing, retinoid, peels, cryosurgery | Part of an even-tone routine, not a spot remover |
| Fine lines and crepey texture | Retinoid, peels, lasers, ultrasound, radiofrequency | Closest evidence from face and neck trials |
| Rough, scaly patches | Assessment by a doctor | See a doctor first |
The treatment lists come from Cleveland Clinic, the Skin Cancer Foundation and the AAD. AAD, 2025 The 2024 review reports that red light did better than near-infrared for blemishes and dark stains.
Mayo Clinic advises seeing a professional for a new growth, or a mole that changes, bleeds, itches or hurts. Mayo Clinic, 2026 Do that before starting light on the chest.
Can a red light face mask be used on the chest?
No: a face mask is shaped for the face and does not reach the neck or chest. For the upper chest you need a panel.
The Kivorla mask is a full-face shell with an eye opening. To cover face and chest, use the mask for your face and the panel for your neck and chest, following each device's own weekly limits.
How long does red light take to show on chest skin?
In the sham-controlled neck trial, the first changes showed at week 4 and kept building to week 12 and beyond. Harvard Health advises multiple sessions a week for four to six months, calling it "slow and steady".
- Week 4: first changes for some people (42.9% in the neck trial).
- Week 8: a fair point to judge whether it suits you.
- Week 12: the main result in the neck trial (77.1%).
The AAD notes "This is not a one-and-done treatment." AAD, 2024 Take photos of your upper chest at weeks 0, 4, 8 and 12 in the same light, and keep your settings the same so the photos compare like with like.
Is red light on the chest suitable for darker skin?
The AAD says darker skin is more sensitive to visible light, so talk with a dermatologist first. Our panel is not for Fitzpatrick skin types V or VI.
Harvard Health adds that "Folks with darker skin types should start with lower doses". Harvard Health, 2025 The 2024 review reported differences of up to 50% in the maximum tolerated dose of red LED light. If pigment marks come easily, start at low brightness, set the 480 nm channel to its lowest, and track with photos.
Should red light come before sunscreen, vitamin C or retinol on the chest?
Light goes first, on clean, bare skin, then skincare, then sunscreen as the last morning step. Sunscreen and a night-time retinoid remain the base of chest care, and light adds to them.
- Before light: wash off sunscreen, make-up and active serums. Clothing blocks the light.
- Morning: an antioxidant serum such as vitamin C, then broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher on the face, neck and chest. Cleveland Clinic, 2024
- Every day: the AAD says to "apply sunscreen every day to all skin that is not covered by clothing". AAD, 2021
- Night: a lower-strength retinoid every other night, the approach Cleveland Clinic suggests for the neck.
Skip light on any night a retinoid has left the skin red, raw or peeling. Red light makes no UV, so it gives no sun protection. More on order is in red light therapy before or after skincare.
Some acne and skin medicines, and some antibiotics, can make skin sensitive to light. Our precautions rule out use with photosensitising medication, so if you take any medicine, check with your pharmacist or doctor first.
Can red light help chest muscles before a bench press session?
The research points to small gains when light is used on a muscle shortly before exercise, measured as more repetitions and longer time to exhaustion. Most trials did not target the chest, so the closest evidence for the chest comes from reviews and upper-arm trials.
The 2018 review included 39 randomised trials with 861 healthy people, and laser, LED or both gave positive results for performance. Vanin, 2018 The authors rated the evidence very low to moderate quality.
In a crossover trial, 9 volleyball players had 810 nm laser light or placebo on the biceps 3 minutes before arm curls to exhaustion. Leal Junior, 2010 Repetitions rose by 14.5%, and time to exhaustion by 8.0%.
- Timing: light on the chest shortly before the session, then your usual warm-up.
- Distance: about 12 inches, as for any broad muscle group.
- Training first: light sits alongside resistance training, protein and sleep, never instead of them.
- A pulled pec: wait 2 to 3 days after a fresh strain. Sudden severe pain with a snap, bruising and weakness needs a doctor first.
See red light therapy for muscle growth for the training trials and weekly totals.
Who should not use red light on the chest?
Our precautions and the panel manual rule out use during pregnancy, while breastfeeding or when preparing for pregnancy, and with a thyroid condition or thyroid medication. Sunburn on the body in the past 2 weeks, broken skin on the chest, and Fitzpatrick skin types V or VI also rule the panel out.
- Pregnancy: see red light therapy while pregnant.
- Thyroid: a panel at upper-chest height also lights the neck, so with a thyroid condition or medication, do not use Kivorla devices at all.
- Seizures: epilepsy, or seizures triggered by light.
- Light sensitivity: photosensitising medicines or a light-sensitive condition such as lupus. AAD, 2024
- Skin: wait until any broken skin or wound on the chest has fully healed.
- Sleep: not for use while asleep or by anyone unconscious.
How do you use a Kivorla panel on your chest?
Hang the panel so its centre is level with your neck and upper chest, put the goggles on, close your eyes, and sit about 12 inches away with your chin slightly raised. Lead with the red and near-infrared channels, building toward 10 to 15 minutes.
The 9-Spectrum Red Light Therapy Panel carries 480, 590, 630, 660, 670, 810, 830, 850 and 1060 nm, each dimmable from 1 to 100%. Its 630 and 850 nm channels match the pair used in both neck trials.
- Position: hang it on a door or wall with the included door hook, pulley, hanging cables and screws, or stand it upright on the floor. Never aim it at your face.
- Eyes: the included goggles on and eyes closed for the whole session. Never look into the panel.
- Chest skin: 630, 660, 830 and 850 nm up; 480 nm at its lowest.
- Chest muscles: 630, 660, 670, 810, 830, 850 and 1060 nm on; 480 and 590 nm off; continuous light.
- Timer: from 1 to 30 minutes; if no time is set, the panel stops at 5 minutes.
- Rhythm: at least 6 hours between 30-minute sessions; same settings for 8 to 12 weeks.
The trials used gentle light. To stay close to that range, dim each channel well below 100%, start with a shorter timer and keep to 12 inches. The panel surface stays at or below 40°C; if your skin feels hot, dim the near-infrared channels or step back.
Standard shipping to the US, UK and Germany is free. Read the precautions before ordering. Under our return and refund policy, returns are accepted within 30 days: an unopened device with its seals intact is refunded less a 10% restocking fee, and an opened device that is undamaged and complete is refunded less 20%.
Kivorla devices are general wellness devices, not medical devices, and are not intended to treat any skin condition or injury. See a dermatologist for new or changing spots, rough scaly patches or a lasting red-brown V on the chest, and a doctor for a chest muscle injury.