YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck under diagnostic code 7800, in 38 CFR § 4.118 (skin conditions), and the schedule provides four evaluation levels for it: 80%, 50%, 30% and 10%.
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A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Plan your preparationTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck
Visible scarring or distortion of the face, head, or neck.
The rating scales with the number of disfigurement characteristics present, from one characteristic at the lowest compensable tier up to four or more characteristics with gross distortion at the highest tier, confirmed through photographs and a dermatology or plastic surgery evaluation.
- Diagnostic code
- 7800
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.118
- Schedule levels
- 80%, 50%, 30% and 10%
How does the VA choose a rating level?
Which level applies is set by the criteria the evidence meets, not by the diagnosis. Where there is a question as to which of two evaluations applies, 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher one if the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating.
This code prints no 0% row. Under 38 CFR § 4.31, a 0% evaluation is assigned where the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met.
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck VA rating criteria (DC 7800)
Choose a percentage to see what that level means. Open the full comparison to read all the criteria in one place.
These are published rating criteria. Selecting a level does not predict your VA decision.
IN THE REGULATION’S OWN WORDS
What 38 CFR also says about Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck
The notes 38 CFR Part 4 prints with these criteria, quoted. They govern how the evaluation is made without being a rating level themselves.
- “Note (1): The 8 characteristics of disfigurement, for purposes of evaluation under § 4.118, are:”DC 7800
- “Note (2): Rate tissue loss of the auricle under DC 6207 (loss of auricle) and anatomical loss of the eye under DC 6061 (anatomical loss of both eyes) or DC 6063 (anatomical loss of one eye), as appropriate.”DC 7800
- “Note (3): Take into consideration unretouched color photographs when evaluating under these criteria.”DC 7800
- “Note (4): Separately evaluate disabling effects other than disfigurement that are associated with individual scar(s) of the head, face, or neck, such as pain, instability, and residuals of associated muscle or nerve injury, under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) and apply § 4.25 to combine the evaluation(s) with the evaluation assigned under this diagnostic code.”DC 7800
- “Note (5): The characteristic(s) of disfigurement may be caused by one scar or by multiple scars; the characteristic(s) required to assign a particular evaluation need not be caused by a single scar in order to assign that evaluation.”DC 7800
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck claim
A long list feels easier when you have a place to start. Use this checklist to see what you have and what still needs gathering.
Check off what you’ve gathered. Progress stays on this page until you leave or refresh.
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck?
VA's page says: “You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers.”
Source: VA: Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs), read September 18, 2026.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck claim
Start with the practical tips, then explore the common oversights. You don’t need to work through everything at once.
Practical tips for your claim2 tips
- 01
Use close-up and clinical-quality photos, since accurately capturing the specific disfigurement characteristics is central to this rating.
- 02
Get documentation from a dermatologist that specifically addresses the recognized disfigurement characteristics, not just a general description.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
Poor lighting during the exam that can obscure the true extent of scarring.
- 02
No description of severity using the specific characteristics this rating schedule counts.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
No visual documentation included.
- 02
Failing to link the disfigurement to a service-connected injury.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
Disfigurement under this code typically results from burns, trauma, or surgical scarring on the head, face, or neck.
THE BROADER PICTURE
Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- Moderate with photos or dermatology report.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~1,100 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~30%
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule, not official VA statistics.
LET’S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP
Common questions about Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck
Is Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck under VASRD diagnostic code 7800 (Skin Conditions). Visible scarring or distortion of the face, head, or neck.
What VA disability rating can I get for Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck?
Possible VA ratings for Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck are 80%, 50%, 30%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 80%: With visible or palpable tissue loss and either gross distortion or asymmetry of three or more features or paired sets of features (nose, chin, forehead, eyes (including eyelids), ears (auricles), cheeks, lips), or; with six or more characteristics of disfigurement; 50%: With visible or palpable tissue loss and either gross distortion or asymmetry of two features or paired sets of features (nose, chin, forehead, eyes (including eyelids), ears (auricles), cheeks, lips), or; with four or five characteristics of disfigurement; 30%: With visible or palpable tissue loss and either gross distortion or asymmetry of one feature or paired set of features (nose, chin, forehead, eyes (including eyelids), ears (auricles), cheeks, lips), or; with two or three characteristics of disfigurement.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck at around 30%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 1,100 veterans are service-connected for Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck. Estimated approval outlook: Moderate with photos or dermatology report.
What evidence helps prove Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck claim includes: A dermatology exam evaluating the specific disfigurement characteristics; High-resolution photographs documenting the scarring or distortion.
Which DBQ is used for Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck?
VA's Scars Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) is on its public list of DBQs. VA's page says: "You can use these forms to submit medical evidence from your health care providers."
What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck?
Common pitfalls when filing for Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck: No visual documentation included; Failing to link the disfigurement to a service-connected injury.
What conditions can be secondary to Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck?
Conditions that can be service-connected as secondary to Disfigurement of the Head, Face or Neck, when a medical opinion links them, include: Depression. A secondary condition gets its own rating, which VA combines with the veteran's other ratings under 38 CFR 4.25.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.118, Schedule of ratings, skin conditions (Diagnostic Code 7800)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
Criteria in quotation marks are the regulation’s own words; everything else on this page is Vetrify’s summary of it. The eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
How these figures are checked: our methodology and the open dataset.
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