A surgical fastening apparatus and related methods for fastening skin tissue so as to avoid piercing the epidermis with resultant percutaneous penetration when intending placement of surgical fasteners within a dermal layer on opposed sides of a skin wound. The apparatus includes a device body having a head portion for positioning between first and second sides of the wound, wherein the head portion includes a deflector shelf that physically prevents epidermal tissue from entering a capture zone defined on the head portion through which a penetrator assembly and fastener are advanced into the dermal layer. By ensuring that the epidermal tissue is not placed within the piercing zone, the potential for inadvertent piercing and percutaneous placement of the surgical fastener though the external skin surface is avoided.