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Free Viability Check →The VA rates most skin conditions using the same fundamental framework: body surface area affected, whether the affected area is exposed or covered, and the level of treatment required to manage the condition. Understanding this framework before you file puts you in a position to document your claim in the language raters actually use.
Most dermatological conditions are rated under Diagnostic Code 7806 (dermatitis or eczema) or a condition-specific code that cross-references the same underlying structure. The rating percentages are:
| Rating | Body Surface Criteria | Treatment Criteria | |--------|----------------------|-------------------| | 0% | Less than 5% of total body OR less than 5% of exposed areas | Continuous medication required | | 10% | Less than 5% of total body OR less than 5% of exposed areas | Intermittent treatment required | | 30% | 5-20% of total body OR 20-40% of exposed areas | Intermittent systemic treatment | | 60% | More than 20% of total body OR more than 40% of exposed areas | Systemic immunosuppressive therapy required |
The word "or" matters. A veteran meets the rating threshold if they satisfy either the body surface area criterion OR the treatment criterion. A veteran whose condition covers only 8% of total body surface (below the 30% threshold) but who requires oral immunosuppressive medication may still rate at 60% based on the treatment criterion alone.
The regulation distinguishes between "total body surface area" and "exposed areas," and exposed areas carry a lower threshold. This means conditions limited to the face, hands, forearms, and neck can qualify for higher ratings more easily than the same absolute area of involvement on the trunk.
Exposed areas generally include:
For veterans whose condition predominantly affects the face (rosacea, chloracne, seborrheic dermatitis), the exposed-area calculation is often more favorable than the total-body calculation.
The VA uses specific diagnostic codes for certain skin conditions rather than the general DC 7806. Key codes include:
Rated based on objective findings including tissue loss, distortion of facial features, visible deformity, and color changes visible at conversational distance. Multiple ratings from 10% to 80% depending on the number and character of disfiguring elements.
Body scars are rated by size, number, location, and whether they are:
Scar ratings are additive with the underlying skin condition rating when both are separately documented.
Rated identically to DC 7806 (the general formula above). Systemic therapy for psoriasis (methotrexate, cyclosporine, biologics including TNF inhibitors, IL-17 inhibitors, and IL-23 inhibitors) all qualify as immunosuppressive therapy for 60% rating purposes.
Rated at 100% during active treatment (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy). After treatment completion with at least six months of follow-up, the residual rating is based on remaining functional impairment, scars, and disfigurement.
Rated at 10% when affecting 5-40% of exposed areas. The rating ceiling is 10%, making this one of the most undercompensated conditions relative to its quality-of-life burden.
Based on the extent of cystic or comedonal involvement of the face and neck, from 10% (minimal cystic involvement) to 60% (extensive cystic disease).
The treatment criterion is critically important and frequently underused by veterans in their claim documentation. The VA recognizes these treatment levels as progressively more intensive:
If your skin condition requires biologics (dupilumab, adalimumab, ustekinumab, secukinumab, omalizumab, and similar agents), document this clearly. Biologic therapy is generally considered systemic immunosuppressive therapy and, combined with the right body surface area involvement, supports a 60% rating.
The 0% rating can trap veterans. If the VA rates your condition at 0% because it's "controlled by continuous medication," you're technically service-connected but rated at zero, which means no compensation. The 0% rating still matters because it:
But a 0% rating when the condition actually meets higher criteria is worth appealing. Common errors include rating at 0% when the condition requires intermittent systemic therapy (which should be at least 10%) or when the affected area exceeds the thresholds for higher ratings.
Veterans with severe skin conditions may qualify for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) beyond standard disability ratings if the condition causes loss of use of a body part, produces wounds or skin breakdown requiring protective or assistive devices, or causes extreme disfigurement.
Veterans with more than one service-connected skin condition receive a combined rating. Each condition is rated separately, and the combined rating follows the VA's "whole person" calculation (not simple addition). Filing each condition as a separate claim and rating each separately is almost always more advantageous than having multiple conditions rated as one.
The financial stakes of getting skin ratings right are significant. A veteran with psoriasis rated at 30% combined with a PTSD rating of 50% produces a combined rating of 65% under VA math, which rounds to 60%. If that veteran also has a mental health secondary from the psoriasis's psychosocial burden, adding 30% to the combination produces a 75% combined rating. The difference between 30% and 70% combined is hundreds of dollars per month in compensation, every month, for the rest of the veteran's life.
The rating criteria exist not to cap what you receive but to define what documentation you need. Every percentage point in the skin rating table corresponds to a specific type of evidence. The veterans who achieve the highest ratings aren't those with the worst conditions; they're the ones whose records most clearly document what the rating criteria actually measure.
For a practical guide to what the C&P examiner documents during the examination, see Skin C&P exam: what examiners look for. For guidance on building the medical opinion that ties your condition to your service, see Anatomy of a strong skin condition nexus letter.
If you're filing or appealing a VA skin condition claim and want to evaluate whether your existing documentation supports the rating you're targeting, the free nexus letter grader at flatratenexus.com/nexus-letter-grade.html is a useful starting point. Flat Rate Nexus also provides physician-signed independent medical opinions and a combined disability calculator at flatratenexus.com/calculator.html to estimate your overall rating.
Thinking about your own claim? Every nexus letter we write goes through a full physician record review, cites peer-reviewed research, and is built around the actual evidence in your case.
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