VASRD 7804 · Skin Conditions
Scars, Unstable or Painful VA Disability Rating
DC 7804 evaluates scars that are unstable, painful, or both, and it rates them by count — how many scars qualify, not their size, location, or appearance. Note (1) defines an unstable scar as one where, for any reason, there is frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar. A painful scar and an unstable scar count the same toward the tier, and where a single scar is both, Note (2) adds 10 percent on top.
VA Rating Tiers
How the VA Evaluates Scars, Unstable or Painful
The tiers are a straight count of scars that are unstable or painful: 10 percent for one or two, 20 percent for three or four, and 30 percent for five or more. Note (1) supplies the definition that decides whether a scar counts as unstable — "An unstable scar is one where, for any reason, there is frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar" — while a painful scar counts on the pain alone; neither the size nor the appearance of the scar figures into the tier. Note (2) adds a further step: "If one or more scars are both unstable and painful, add 10 percent to the evaluation that is based on the total number of unstable or painful scars." Note (3) makes this code additive rather than exclusive: scars already evaluated under DC 7800, 7801, 7802, or 7805 may also receive an evaluation under DC 7804 when applicable.
Veterans service-connected
~72,000 veterans
Typical rating awarded
~10%
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule — not official VA statistics.
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Best Evidence to Gather
- •Exam or treatment notes that identify each scar separately and state, for each one, whether it is painful on examination, unstable, or both.
- •Wound-care or dermatology records covering the occasions when a scar lost its covering of skin, since Note (1) makes the frequency of that loss the test for instability.
- •Photographs of each scar with its location, taken at more than one point in time where instability is at issue.
- •A clear total count of the qualifying scars, which is the figure the tiers are drawn on.
Strategy Tips
- •Have each claimed scar counted individually in the record, identified as painful, unstable, or both. The tiers are a count, so a note reading "multiple painful scars" does not establish which tier applies.
- •Instability has a specific meaning here. Note (1) ties it to frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar, so what documents it is wound-care and treatment records covering the episodes where the scar lost its skin covering — a single photograph of an intact scar cannot show frequency.
- •Where one scar is both unstable and painful, Note (2)'s additional 10 percent sits on top of the count-based evaluation, so both features need to be recorded against that same scar rather than described in general terms.
- •A scar already evaluated for disfigurement or area under DC 7800, 7801, 7802, or 7805 is not out of reach here — Note (3) permits an evaluation under this code as well, when applicable.
C&P Exam Pitfalls
- •An exam that reports one aggregate finding — "scars are painful" — with no scar-by-scar count. Every tier of this code is a number of scars.
- •An exam that treats the claim as being about painful scars only and leaves instability unaddressed, even though the code's title and all three criteria rows read "unstable or painful."
- •A scar that is both unstable and painful recorded as only one or the other, which leaves out the additional 10 percent Note (2) provides.
- •Instability captured loosely — the scar "looks bad" or is "irritated" — rather than in Note (1)'s terms, frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar.
Common Filing Mistakes
- •Filing this as a claim about how the scars look. Appearance on the head, face, or neck is DC 7800's subject and area is DC 7801's and DC 7802's; DC 7804 counts scars that are unstable or painful.
- •Not listing every scar being claimed, since a scar left off the list is not in the count that sets the tier.
- •Assuming a scar already rated under another scar code cannot be claimed here, when Note (3) says scars evaluated under DC 7800, 7801, 7802, or 7805 may also receive an evaluation under this code when applicable.
Onset Patterns
- •Pain and instability are properties of the healed scar rather than of the original wound, so they may be documented at any point after the burn, laceration, or surgical incision that left the scar.
- •Note (1)'s phrase "for any reason" means the cause of the skin loss over the scar is not what this code asks about — only that the loss is frequent.
Secondary Conditions
Conditions commonly linked to Scars, Unstable or Painful. Service-connecting a secondary condition can increase your combined rating.
Common Among These Military Jobs
Military occupational specialties (MOS) where Scars, Unstable or Painful is frequently claimed.
Common questions about Scars, Unstable or Painful
- Is Scars, Unstable or Painful a VA-rated disability?
- Yes. The VA rates Scars, Unstable or Painful under VASRD diagnostic code 7804 (Skin Conditions). DC 7804 evaluates scars that are unstable, painful, or both, and it rates them by count — how many scars qualify, not their size, location, or appearance. Note (1) defines an unstable scar as one where, for any reason, the…
- What VA disability rating can I get for Scars, Unstable or Painful?
- Possible VA ratings for Scars, Unstable or Painful are 30%, 20%, 10%. Examples: 30%: Five or more scars that are unstable, painful, or both.; 20%: Three or four scars that are unstable, painful, or both.; 10%: One or two scars that are unstable, painful, or both..
- What's the typical VA rating awarded for Scars, Unstable or Painful?
- Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Scars, Unstable or Painful at around 10%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 72,000 veterans are service-connected for Scars, Unstable or Painful.
- What evidence helps prove Scars, Unstable or Painful for VA disability?
- Strong evidence for a Scars, Unstable or Painful claim includes: Exam or treatment notes that identify each scar separately and state, for each one, whether it is painful on examination, unstable, or both.; Wound-care or dermatology records covering the occasions when a scar lost its covering of skin, since Note (1) m…
- What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Scars, Unstable or Painful?
- Common pitfalls when filing for Scars, Unstable or Painful: Filing this as a claim about how the scars look. Appearance on the head, face, or neck is DC 7800's subject and area is DC 7801's and DC 7802's; DC 7804 counts scars that are unstable or painful.; Not listing every scar being claimed, since a scar left off th…
- What conditions are commonly secondary to Scars, Unstable or Painful?
- Conditions often service-connected as secondary to Scars, Unstable or Painful include: Skin Infections, Mobility Issues. Filing for secondary conditions can increase a veteran's combined VA rating.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.118 — Schedule of ratings — skin conditions (Diagnostic Code 7804)
Rating criteria on this page are an educational summary of the cited regulation — the eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
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