Not all red light is the same red light. The number that matters is the wavelength, measured in nanometers (nm), and it determines how far the light travels into tissue before it's absorbed.

660nm: surface-level

Visible red light around 660nm is absorbed relatively close to the skin's surface. This is the range most skin-focused studies use, looking at tone, texture, and the skin's own collagen-production process.

850nm: below the surface

Near-infrared light around 850nm sits just outside what the human eye can see, and it travels further — into muscle, connective tissue, and joints. This is the range most recovery- and comfort-focused studies use.

Why a pad needs both

A single-wavelength device only does half the job. Veliora pads emit both 660nm and 850nm simultaneously, so a single twenty-minute session addresses surface and deeper tissue at once, rather than requiring two separate devices or sessions.

This is also why coverage area matters as much as wavelength. A handheld wand can deliver the right wavelengths, but only to a couple of square inches at a time. A flexible pad delivers the same wavelengths across an entire area — a full lower back, both knees, a whole shoulder — for the entire session.

As always: individual experiences vary, and this is general wellness information, not medical advice.