The Veteran's PFB affects less than 5% of his body and requires topical treatment, which does not require systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs. The Board denied an increased rating for the disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s PFB affects less than 5 percent of his total body area and less than 20 percent of exposed areas affected, requiring topical treatment only, which does not require systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs. The preponderance of the evidence is against a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- November 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19187969
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 19187969.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, right knee strain, left knee strain, pseudofolliculitis barbae, somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain and generalized anxiety disorder, and throbbing head pain on a direct basis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and denied increased ratings for various disabilities including back, lower extremity radiculopathy, knee, facial scar, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and erectile dysfunction.
- Partly granted
The appeal was dismissed for the claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, and service connection for migraine headaches was restored. Several claims for service connection were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable rating for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae and a rating in excess of 50 percent for the associated scars.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.