I was thrilled to be able to try the renowned Quasar MD PLUS, but given my skin’s proneness towards redness, irritation, and inflammation, I did not know whether my skin would be able to handle it or if I would turn into a beet-faced mess. After all, the company advertises their devices as being several times as strong as any of the competition. The Quasar MD PLUS uses 4 wavelengths of light: 610nm, 630nm, 660nm, and 850nm. The energy output is about 65 milliwatts per square centimeter. I tried to compare the milliwatts per square centimeter of the Quasar MD PLUS to other devices, but many competing companies claim that information is proprietary.

I needn’t have worried about sensitivity, because the directions instructed me to conduct a test on a slightly less obvious area of skin than the face for a full three-minute treatment cycle and to observe my skin over time to see if it became red (in which case a person is not well-suited to this professional-strength treatment). Lucky for me, I encountered no problems with the test area and eagerly moved onto my face. The device itself runs in treatment cycles that are 3 minutes long and shuts off automatically at the end of each to be sure you do not lose track of time and overdo it. The treatment I conduct takes me only 12 minutes.  I mentally divide my face into just four sections, gliding around within each section for the three-minute treatment cycle.  It would certainly be possible to follow up with some additional spot treatment on areas of concern, and I often (but not always) do this. The device is bright, such that you’ll want to close your eye on the side of your face where the light is being applied, but the treatment itself is completely painless, and I personally have not experienced any troublesome irritation despite my skin’s sensitivity.