An apparatus for selectively destroying dividing cells in tissue to be treated beneath the skin, the dividing cells having polarizable or polar intracellular members, the apparatus comprising: a first insulated electrode having a first conductor, wherein the first electrode includes a first dielectric member that is in contact with the first conductor, the first dielectric member being for placement against the skin to form a capacitor; a second insulated electrode having a second conductor, wherein the second electrode includes a second dielectric member that is in contact with the second conductor, the second dielectric member being for placement against the skin to form a capacitor; and an electric field source for applying an alternating electric potential across the first and second conductors, wherein passage of the electric field through the dividing cells in late anaphase or telophase transforms the electric field into a non-homogenous electric field that produces an increased density electric field in a region of a cleavage furrow of the dividing cells, wherein the electric field source comprises a generator that generates an alternating voltage waveform at frequencies between 50KHz to 500KHz, whereby the nonhomogeneous electric field produced within the dividing cells is of sufficient intensity to move the polarizable intracellular members toward the cleavage; characterised in that: each of the first and second dielectric members comprises a dielectric coating having a thickness between 1 micron to 50 microns; and the voltage waveform generated by the generator is adapted to provide an electric field intensity in the tissue to be treated of between 0.1 V/cm to 10.0 V/cm. a first insulated electrode having a first conductor, wherein the first electrode includes a first dielectric member that is in contact with the first conductor, the first dielectric member being for placement against the skin to form a capacitor; a second insulated electrode having a second conductor, wherein the second electrode includes a second dielectric member that is in contact with the second conductor, the second dielectric member being for placement against the skin to form a capacitor; and an electric field source for applying an alternating electric potential across the first and second conductors, wherein passage of the electric field through the dividing cells in late anaphase or telophase transforms the electric field into a non-homogenous electric field that produces an increased density electric field in a region of a cleavage furrow of the dividing cells, wherein the electric field source comprises a generator that generates an alternating voltage waveform at frequencies between 50KHz to 500KHz, whereby the nonhomogeneous electric field produced within the dividing cells is of sufficient intensity to move the polarizable intracellular members toward the cleavage; characterised in that: each of the first and second dielectric members comprises a dielectric coating having a thickness between 1 micron to 50 microns; and the voltage waveform generated by the generator is adapted to provide an electric field intensity in the tissue to be treated of between 0.1 V/cm to 10.0 V/cm. each of the first and second dielectric members comprises a dielectric coating having a thickness between 1 micron to 50 microns; and the voltage waveform generated by the generator is adapted to provide an electric field intensity in the tissue to be treated of between 0.1 V/cm to 10.0 V/cm.