An apparatus (400, 600) for producing a cosmetic effect in a region of skin tissue, comprising: a plurality of hollow needles that is configured to remove a plurality of portions of skin tissue from the region when the needles are inserted into and withdrawn from the skin tissue so as to produce the cosmetic effect, wherein the apparatus is configured so that, when applied to the region, it achieves removal of an areal fraction of the skin tissue from the region, which areal fraction is between 0.1 and 0.7; and wherein the apparatus comprises: a) a substrate, wherein the plurality of hollow needles is coupled to the substrate; and b) a conduit configured to provide a low pressure source in communication with the lumen of at least one hollow needle to facilitate a removal of the at least one portion from the skin tissue or the lumen of the hollow needles; the apparatus further comprising: c) a filter arrangement for capturing the portions of the skin tissue extracted from the needles during operation; and d) a reciprocating arrangement configured to repeatedly insert and withdraw the plurality of hollow needles into and from the skin tissue, respectively, and including a translational controller configured to translate the plurality of hollow needles over the region in one direction or in two orthogonal directions. a plurality of hollow needles that is configured to remove a plurality of portions of skin tissue from the region when the needles are inserted into and withdrawn from the skin tissue so as to produce the cosmetic effect, wherein the apparatus is configured so that, when applied to the region, it achieves removal of an areal fraction of the skin tissue from the region, which areal fraction is between 0.1 and 0.7; and wherein the apparatus comprises: a) a substrate, wherein the plurality of hollow needles is coupled to the substrate; and b) a conduit configured to provide a low pressure source in communication with the lumen of at least one hollow needle to facilitate a removal of the at least one portion from the skin tissue or the lumen of the hollow needles; a) a substrate, wherein the plurality of hollow needles is coupled to the substrate; and b) a conduit configured to provide a low pressure source in communication with the lumen of at least one hollow needle to facilitate a removal of the at least one portion from the skin tissue or the lumen of the hollow needles; the apparatus further comprising: c) a filter arrangement for capturing the portions of the skin tissue extracted from the needles during operation; and d) a reciprocating arrangement configured to repeatedly insert and withdraw the plurality of hollow needles into and from the skin tissue, respectively, and including a translational controller configured to translate the plurality of hollow needles over the region in one direction or in two orthogonal directions. c) a filter arrangement for capturing the portions of the skin tissue extracted from the needles during operation; and d) a reciprocating arrangement configured to repeatedly insert and withdraw the plurality of hollow needles into and from the skin tissue, respectively, and including a translational controller configured to translate the plurality of hollow needles over the region in one direction or in two orthogonal directions.