The Veteran's PFB necessitates keeping short hairs over face, cheek, and neck areas exceeding six squares inches, comparable in effect to disfigurement from hypo- or hyper-pigmentation of those areas. The Board grants a 10 percent disability rating for his PFB effective October 16, 2015.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PFB is manifested by papules which greatly increase in number if he shaves. To avoid greater numbers of papules, he must wear an unwanted beard over all beard areas, including the upper cheeks and neck that traditionally are shaved. Retaining hair in those areas causes him embarrassment.
- Claimed conditions
- Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19185823
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,677 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19185823.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal to revise the effective date for a 50% disability rating for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is dismissed because the July 2024 proposed rating decision was not an appealable determination.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for PFB is denied as the condition did not manifest through scarring or disfigurement during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection of chronic fatigue syndrome and vertigo are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The PFB claim is denied as the disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
- Granted
Service connection for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is granted. The appeal of a deferral of service connection for PFB is dismissed.
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