The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae disability is rated at zero percent (noncompensable) since February 13, 2009. The RO will need to consider whether there have been times since the effective date of his award when his pseudofolliculitis barbae disability has been more severe than at others for the time period from February 2009 to the present.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae exhibits only one characteristic of disfigurement - the surface contour of his frequent shaving bumps are elevated, but does not cover less than 5 percent of the entire body or less than 5 percent of exposed areas are affected, requiring more than topical therapy during the past 12-month period, and there is no evidence of permanent scarring or burns.
- Claimed conditions
- Pseudofolliculitis Barbae
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2015
- Citation
- 1504717
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 1504717.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for TDIU was denied because the evidence did not show that he was unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial 10 percent disability rating for service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae, finding that the condition affects less than 40 percent of the face and neck.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased rating of right little finger disability and service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae were denied. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to missing private treatment records.
- Granted
The Board has found that the Veteran requires personal care services for a minimum of six continuous months based on his inability to perform activities of daily living and need for supervision or protection due to symptoms or residuals of neurological or other impairment. The VA will now evaluate whether participation in the PCAFC program is in the Veteran's best interest.
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