Objective To explore the effect of topical nitroglycerin ointment on abdominal morphology and skin recovery in patients after liposuction. Methods A total of 300 patients who underwent liposuction in Shenzhen Jumei Boyue Medical Beauty Clinic from October 2023 to October 2024 were selected, and they were divided into the control group and the observation group by the random number table method, with 150 patients in each group. The control group was treated with petrolatum ointment, and the observation group was treated with nitroglycerin ointment. The pain intensity, abdominal morphology, skin recovery and satisfaction were compared between the two groups. Results There was no statistically significant difference in NRS scores between the two groups at 1 day after treatment (P >0.05), but the NRS scores of the observation group at 3, 7 and 14 days after treatment were lower than those of the control group (P <0.05). The abdominal wall laxity, skin fold thickness and abdominal circumference of the observation group at 3 months after treatment were lower than those of the control group (P <0.05). The hematoma resolution time and ecchymosis disappearance time of the observation group were shorter than those of the control group, and the skin retraction rate was higher than that of the control group (P <0.05). The satisfaction rate of the observation group (92.67%) was higher than that of the control group (84.67%) (P <0.05). Conclusion Topical application of nitroglycerin ointment can effectively improve the pain intensity of patients after liposuction, promote skin recovery and abdominal morphology improvement, and achieve high patient satisfaction.