The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to address the probable etiology of any hair loss disability and review of the claims file. The depression claim is inextricably intertwined with the service connection claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported having hair loss in service that has continued to the present, and STRs show he was treated for sebaceous cyst of the scalp. A VA examination is needed to address whether any of the Veteran's identified hair loss conditions are at least as likely as not (i.e., to a 50-50 or greater degree of probability) causally related to active service, to chemicals used to straighten his hair therein, or to the sebaceous cyst for which he was treated in service.
- Claimed conditions
- hair loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2017
- Citation
- 1705473
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 1705473.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hair loss and high cholesterol were denied as they are not considered disabilities for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran's left arm condition was remanded due to inadequate examination, requiring a new evaluation.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of hair loss.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hair loss, teeth infection/loss of teeth, and loss of fingernails as there was no evidence showing these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and hair loss (secondary to hypertension) as there is no current disability found, and the Veteran did not provide evidence showing impairment affecting earning capacity.
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