VA Scar Ratings for Painful and Disfiguring Scars
VA scar ratings depend on the scar’s symptoms, location, size, and other effects. A painful or unstable scar can qualify for compensation, while a scar on the head, face, or neck may also qualify based on disfigurement.
For Florida veterans, the challenge is often showing both service connection and the findings that match VA’s rating criteria. The rules below can help you identify what belongs in your claim and what to look for in a decision.
Key Takeaways
VA generally assigns a 10%, 20%, or 30% rating based on the number of painful or unstable scars. An additional 10 percentage points applies when at least one scar is both painful and unstable.
Scars on the head, face, or neck can receive ratings based on defined characteristics of disfigurement. Scars elsewhere may qualify based on their area and whether they involve underlying soft-tissue damage.
A scar may also receive an evaluation for a distinct limitation, such as restricted motion. VA combines separate ratings rather than adding them directly.
How VA Establishes Service Connection for a Scar
Before VA assigns a compensable rating, the evidence must establish that the scar is connected to qualifying military service or a service-connected disability. A scar from an injury during service is one possibility. A scar from surgery to treat a service-connected condition may also qualify.
The evidence should identify the scar and explain its relationship to service or the service-connected condition. Service treatment records, surgical reports, and follow-up notes can help establish when the injury or procedure occurred. If the connection isn’t clear from the records, a medical opinion may help explain it.
VA then evaluates the scar under the applicable diagnostic code. The VA disability rating schedule contains separate criteria for painful scars, disfigurement, scar area, and other disabling effects.
A service-connected scar may receive a 0% rating when it doesn’t meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation. That rating recognizes the connection to service, but it doesn’t increase your combined percentage. If the scar worsens, evidence of the change may support a claim for an increase.
Painful and Unstable Scars Under DC 7804
Diagnostic Code 7804 evaluates scars that are painful, unstable, or both. Location and size don’t determine the rating under this code. Instead, VA counts the scars that meet the criteria.
How VA counts scars
The following table shows the evaluation based on the number of painful or unstable scars.
| Number of qualifying scars | Rating |
|---|---|
| One or two | 10% |
| Three or four | 20% |
| Five or more | 30% |
A small surgical scar can qualify if it’s painful. Likewise, a larger scar isn’t automatically entitled to a higher evaluation under DC 7804 because of its size. If you have several scars, identify each one and describe which scars hurt or repeatedly lose their skin covering.
When VA adds 10 percentage points
An unstable scar has frequent loss of the skin covering over it. If at least one scar is both painful and unstable, VA adds 10 percentage points to the rating based on the number of qualifying scars.
For example, one painful scar would generally meet the 10% criterion. If that same scar is also unstable, the additional 10 percentage points make the DC 7804 evaluation 20%. The extra amount applies when one or more scars have both features; it isn’t added separately for every scar with both symptoms.
Disfiguring Scars on the Head, Face, or Neck
Diagnostic Code 7800 applies to scars and other disfigurement of the head, face, or neck. VA considers defined characteristics of disfigurement and, at higher levels, certain findings involving tissue loss and distorted or asymmetric features.
The eight characteristics VA considers
The characteristics include a scar at least 5 inches (13 cm) long and a scar at least one-quarter inch (0.6 cm) wide at its widest point. An elevated or depressed contour felt on examination and adherence to underlying tissue are also characteristics.
The other four concern an affected area exceeding 6 square inches (39 square centimeters): lighter or darker pigmentation, abnormal skin texture, missing underlying soft tissue, or hardened and inflexible skin. Measurements and examination findings matter because the criteria specify which features must cover that area.
Ratings for disfigurement
The table summarizes the rating levels under DC 7800.
| Rating | Qualifying findings |
|---|---|
| 10% | One characteristic of disfigurement |
| 30% | Two or three characteristics, or qualifying tissue loss and distortion or asymmetry of one feature or paired set |
| 50% | Four or five characteristics, or qualifying tissue loss and distortion or asymmetry of two features or paired sets |
| 80% | Six or more characteristics, or qualifying tissue loss and distortion or asymmetry of three or more features or paired sets |
For the tissue-loss criteria, VA considers visible or palpable tissue loss together with gross distortion or asymmetry. The listed features include the nose, chin, forehead, eyes, ears, cheeks, and lips. A scar’s appearance alone doesn’t establish a particular percentage without the required findings.
Ratings Based on Scar Area and Tissue Damage
Scars outside the head, face, and neck may qualify based on their area. The applicable code depends in part on whether the scar involves underlying soft-tissue damage.
Scars with underlying soft-tissue damage
Under DC 7801, the rating increases with the affected area:
| Scar area | Rating |
|---|---|
| At least 6 but less than 12 square inches | 10% |
| At least 12 but less than 72 square inches | 20% |
| At least 72 but less than 144 square inches | 30% |
| 144 square inches or more | 40% |
These measurements apply to scars outside the head, face, or neck that have underlying soft-tissue damage. The code also includes rules for evaluating scars in different areas of the body.
Scars without underlying soft-tissue damage
DC 7802 covers scars outside the head, face, or neck without underlying soft-tissue damage. It provides a 10% rating when the qualifying area is 144 square inches (929 square centimeters) or more.
A scar that falls short of that area can still qualify under another applicable code. For example, size isn’t the deciding criterion for a painful scar under DC 7804. The medical record should describe both the scar’s measurements and its symptoms so VA can apply the appropriate criteria.
Other Scar Effects and Separate Ratings
A scar can cause problems beyond pain, instability, or visible disfigurement. Under DC 7805, VA evaluates disabling effects not considered under the other scar codes using an appropriate diagnostic code.
For example, a scar across a joint may restrict movement. Medical findings about the restriction can help VA determine whether a separate evaluation is appropriate. Nerve symptoms or another documented impairment may also require consideration under the relevant criteria.
VA can’t compensate the same manifestation twice under different diagnostic codes. Separate evaluations must address distinct effects that haven’t already been compensated. A surgical incision by itself doesn’t establish a compensable scar rating.
This distinction can matter after joint surgery. Our discussion of VA knee ratings and scars explains how a scar evaluation relates to other knee impairments.
When VA awards separate evaluations, it uses its combined ratings rules instead of ordinary addition. For example, 40% and 10% combine to 46%, which rounds to 50% when those are the only ratings. Our guide to VA combined rating calculations explains the math.
Evidence That Can Support a Scar Claim
The strongest evidence addresses both the connection to service and the scar’s present effects. What you need depends on whether VA is deciding an initial claim, evaluating an increase, or reviewing a prior decision.
Records that show the scar’s history
An operative report can identify a procedure and the location of an incision. Service treatment records or records of an earlier injury may help establish how the scar developed. Follow-up notes can document symptoms and treatment over time.
Private medical records can also be useful. VA accepts evidence from private medical providers, including records from clinicians familiar with your condition. A treating provider’s findings may help document measurements, tissue damage, pain, or recurring skin breakdown.
Describing symptoms and daily effects
Your statement can explain which scars hurt, when the pain occurs, and how frequently skin breaks down. Describe the effects on activities, such as movement or clothing rubbing against the scar. If symptoms vary, explain what happens during worse periods rather than describing only the day of an examination.
Photographs can help document visible changes or episodes of breakdown. At a VA examination, identify every affected scar and explain its symptoms. A photograph or statement doesn’t replace a medical finding when the rating criterion requires one, but it can add context to the record.
What to Do After a Low Rating or Denial
Start with the decision letter. Determine whether VA denied service connection, assigned a lower percentage than the evidence supports, or left a distinct effect unevaluated. Each issue calls for a different response.
Match the evidence to the disputed finding
If VA accepted service connection but assigned 0%, compare the stated reasons with the examination and treatment records. The issue may be whether VA considered documented pain or measured the affected area correctly. If the examination omitted a scar or described symptoms inaccurately, identify the omission.
A service-connection denial may require evidence about the injury, procedure, or relationship to a service-connected condition. Keep the decision notice, examination report, medical records, and proof of any submissions together.
Choose a review option
VA offers a Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, and Board Appeal through its decision review process. A Supplemental Claim requires new and relevant evidence. Higher-Level Review generally considers the existing record, while a Board Appeal offers different review options, including paths for additional evidence.
Deadlines and filing rules matter. Filing an eligible review request within one year of a decision can help preserve the effective date for potential benefits. A VA-accredited representative can help identify the disputed issue and available review path.
Frequently Asked Questions About VA Scar Ratings
Can a surgical scar qualify for VA compensation?
Yes. A scar related to treatment for a service-connected condition may qualify when the evidence establishes the relationship and the scar meets a compensable rating criterion. The operation alone doesn’t guarantee a percentage.
Can a facial scar be rated for both pain and disfigurement?
Yes. VA may evaluate qualifying pain or instability under DC 7804 and disfigurement under DC 7800. The evaluations must address distinct criteria without compensating the same manifestation twice.
Does a 0% scar rating prevent a later increase?
No. A 0% rating recognizes service connection. If the scar later meets compensable criteria, evidence of its increased severity may support a claim for a higher rating.
Build Your Claim Around the Scar’s Effects
An accurate scar rating depends on the findings that apply to your scar. Pain, instability, measurements, disfigurement, and functional loss can lead to different evaluations.
At Avard Law Offices, we offer free consultations for Florida veterans seeking help with benefits disputes. Bring your decision and relevant records so we can discuss the issue VA decided and the available next steps.