Systems and methods are provided for selectively applying electrical energy to a target location on an external body surface, such as skin tissue removal and/or collagen shrinkage in the epidermis or dermis, e.g., the removal of pigmentations, vascular lesions (e.g., leg veins), scars, tattoos, etc., and for other surgical procedures on the skin, such as tissue rejuvenation, cosmetic surgery, wrinkle removal, hair removal and/or transplant procedures. The present invention applies high frequency (RF) electrical energy to one or more electrode terminals adjacent an external body surface, such as the outer surface of the skin, to remove and/or modify the structure of tissue structures within the skin. Depending on the specific cosmetic procedure, the present invention may be used to: (1) volumetrically remove tissue or hair (i.e., ablate or effect molecular dissociation of the tissue structure); (2) separate a tissue layer from an underlying tissue layer so that the tissue layer can be removed; (3) shrink or contract collagen connective tissue; and/or (4) coagulate blood vessels underlying the surface of the skin.