The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hair loss, sleep disturbances, swelling of the hands and feet, and symptoms involving the skin as chronic disabilities resulting from undiagnosed illnesses. The decision found that the veteran had been diagnosed with alopecia areata for her hair loss, which is not considered a chronic disability resulting from an undiagnosed illness.
The deciding factor: The veteran's hair loss was clinically diagnosed as alopecia areata and thus does not meet the criteria for service connection under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.317(a).
- Claimed conditions
- Hair loss, Sleep disturbances (including nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia), Swelling of the hands and feet, Symptoms involving the skin
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2000
- Citation
- 0008000
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0008000.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for recurrent tinnitus, left ankle disability, and left lower ear scar but denied service connection for hair loss. The Board also denied initial compensable ratings for tinea pedis and rhinitis.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all claims for higher initial ratings and service connection, as the Veteran requested a higher-level review of these issues in May 2024 but then appealed to the Board in August 2024, leading to concurrent review which is not allowed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to a lack of proper notice and scheduling of VA examinations.
- Dismissed
All appeals for service connection and evaluations of various conditions were dismissed as duplicative, with decisions already issued in January 2025.
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