The Board denied the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for pseudofolliculitis barbae and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PFB did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, as it affected less than 20 to 40 percent of his body or exposed areas, and no systemic treatment was required. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss had an average pure tone threshold of 40 decibels and speech recognition ability of 94%, which did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), hearing loss, left ear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 25, 2025
- Citation
- A25054720
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a left wrist condition was dismissed due to concurrent election of higher-level review. The claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral pes planus, and for service connection for hearing loss, neck strain, and dermatitis were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for anxiety disorder and denied service connection for hearing loss. The claims for service connection for GERD, right ankle limitations, and sinusitis were remanded for further development.
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