Objective To analyze the application effect of aesthetic-oriented nursing mode in postoperative appearance repair of patients with skin tumor. Methods A total of 84 patients with skin tumor treated in Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from June 2022 to June 2025 were selected. According to different nursing methods, they were divided into group A (42 patients) and group B (42 patients). Group A received conventional nursing, and group B was given aesthetic-oriented nursing mode. The appearance repair effect, mental state, quality of life, nursing satisfaction and complication rate were compared between the two groups. Results The scores of VSS and FAS in group B were better than those in group A (P<0.05). The scores of SAS and SDS in group B were lower than those in group A (P<0.05). The scores of physical health and mental health in group B were higher than those in group A (P<0.05). The nursing satisfaction of group B was higher than that of group A (P<0.05). The incidence of complications in group B was 4.76%, which was lower than 28.57% in group A (P<0.05). Conclusion The application of aesthetic-oriented nursing mode in postoperative appearance repair of patients with skin tumor can effectively improve the repair effect, relieve patients' negative emotions, and enhance their quality of life and nursing satisfaction.