An apparatus for satisfying Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) compliance criteria including a first capacitance sensor, a second capacitance sensor, a memory, and a processor. The memory is configured to store pre-established proximity regions that include a free space region of proximity based on baseline capacitance measurements obtained from the sensors when no human body is proximate a wireless device and a first region of proximity based on initial capacitance measurements obtained from the sensors when the human body is spaced apart from the wireless device by a first predetermined separation distance. The processor is configured to instruct a radio frequency (RF) transmitter to operate at a first output power when subsequent capacitance measurements received from the sensors are within the free space region of proximity and at a second output power, less than the first output power when the subsequent capacitance measurements are within the first region of proximity.