The Board denied the veteran's request for an effective date prior to April 27, 2023 for service connection of alopecia totalis. The veteran did not file an appeal within a year of the initial denial.
The deciding factor: The veteran did not file an appeal within one year of the May 2020 rating decision denying service connection for alopecia totalis, making the decision final.
- Claimed conditions
- alopecia totalis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2025
- Citation
- A25005550
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,287 · Granted: 23% (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 A25005550.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for service-connected alopecia totalis, as there is no evidence of hair loss beyond the scalp and face.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claims for residuals of a right rib fracture and dermatophytosis (claimed as eczema) have been granted. Claims for hyperlipidemia, elevated liver enzymes, posttraumatic stress disorder, alopecia totalis, iliotibial band syndrome of the left knee, cervical spine disability, voiding dysfunction, benign neoplasm of the skin, right ankle disability, right elbow disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability have been denied. The Veteran's claims for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity secondary to service-connected spinal stenosis are remanded.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed alopecia hair conditions, finding that new and relevant evidence had not been submitted to reopen his claim. The Board concluded that there was no direct relationship between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for a new medical opinion that takes into account his service-connected disabilities and educational background, but not his age or nonservice-connected conditions.
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