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The VA orders this exam to verify your diagnosis and measure how severe it is right now. It can shape your rating and your monthly compensation — but it does not decide your claim. A rating specialist weighs it against your full record, and if the exam does not reflect your condition, you can say so and ask the VA to correct it.
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A chronic infection or inflammation of the hair follicles, causing red bumps, pustules, and sometimes scarring. Common in areas where skin rubs together or where shaving occurs. Chronic folliculitis is rated under DC 7806 (“Dermatitis or eczema”), evaluated under the General Rating Formula for the Skin — the percentage of your body or exposed areas covered by characteristic lesions OR the duration of systemic therapy over the past 12-month period, whichever gives the higher level, to a ceiling of 60 percent.
The percentages this diagnostic code can be rated at. Which one applies depends on the findings — no tool here can tell you in advance.
Rated under 38 CFR 4.118, DC 7806. The examiner records findings on the DBQ; a rating specialist makes the decision.
| Rating | Rating criteria | What that means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 0% | No more than topical therapy required over the past 12-month period and at least one of the following: Characteristic lesions involving less than 5 percent of the entire body affected; or Characteristic lesions involving less than 5 percent of exposed areas affected. | You needed no more than topical therapy over the past 12-month period, AND characteristic lesions cover less than 5 percent of your entire body or less than 5 percent of exposed areas. Both halves have to be true. If you were on systemic therapy at any point in the past 12 months you are not at 0 percent even with very little skin involved — the therapy route reaches 10 percent on its own. DC 7806 is evaluated under the General Rating Formula for the Skin, and that formula prints this 0 percent level directly: no monthly payment, but the condition is on record and a later increase runs from it. The lowest compensable level under this formula is 10 percent. |
What supports this level
| ||
| 10% | Evaluate under the General Rating Formula for the Skin. At least one of the following: Characteristic lesions involving at least 5 percent, but less than 20 percent, of the entire body affected; or At least 5 percent, but less than 20 percent, of exposed areas affected; or Intermittent systemic therapy including, but not limited to, corticosteroids, phototherapy, retinoids, biologics, photochemotherapy, PUVA, or other immunosuppressive drugs required for a total duration of less than 6 weeks over the past 12-month period. | Characteristic lesions cover at least 5 percent but less than 20 percent of your entire body, or at least 5 percent but less than 20 percent of exposed areas, or you needed intermittent systemic therapy for a total of less than 6 weeks over the past 12-month period. Any one of these on its own is enough. Systemic therapy is not only corticosteroids — the formula also names phototherapy, retinoids, biologics, photochemotherapy and psoralen with long-wave ultraviolet-A light (PUVA), and the list reads “including, but not limited to,” so a systemic drug outside it still counts. |
What supports this level
| ||
| 30% | Evaluate under the General Rating Formula for the Skin. At least one of the following: Characteristic lesions involving 20 to 40 percent of the entire body or 20 to 40 percent of exposed areas affected; or Systemic therapy including, but not limited to, corticosteroids, phototherapy, retinoids, biologics, photochemotherapy, PUVA, or other immunosuppressive drugs required for a total duration of 6 weeks or more, but not constantly, over the past 12-month period. | Characteristic lesions cover 20 to 40 percent of your entire body or 20 to 40 percent of exposed areas, or you needed systemic therapy — corticosteroids, phototherapy, retinoids, biologics, photochemotherapy, PUVA, or other immunosuppressive drugs — for a total of 6 weeks or more, but not constantly, over the past 12-month period. Either one on its own is enough. Note that 40 percent exactly falls in this band; the 60 percent level asks for MORE than 40 percent. |
What supports this level
| ||
| 60% | Evaluate under the General Rating Formula for the Skin. At least one of the following: Characteristic lesions involving more than 40 percent of the entire body or more than 40 percent of exposed areas affected; or Constant or near-constant systemic therapy including, but not limited to, corticosteroids, phototherapy, retinoids, biologics, photochemotherapy, psoralen with long-wave ultraviolet-A light (PUVA), or other immunosuppressive drugs required over the past 12-month period. | Characteristic lesions cover more than 40 percent of your entire body or more than 40 percent of exposed areas, or you needed constant or near-constant systemic therapy — corticosteroids, phototherapy, retinoids, biologics, photochemotherapy, PUVA, or other immunosuppressive drugs — over the past 12-month period. This is the highest level the General Rating Formula for the Skin provides. |
What supports this level
| ||
The middle column is our transcription of the criteria at 38 CFR 4.118, DC 7806, condensed for reading. Read the section itself on eCFR before relying on the exact wording. The items under each level are the kinds of evidence that document it — not a VA checklist, and not a prediction of which level applies to you.
Overlooking the alternative route — the General Rating Formula for the Skin ends with an instruction to rate INSTEAD as disfigurement of the head, face, or neck (DC 7800) or as scars (DCs 7801, 7802, 7804, or 7805) when that is the predominant disability. DC 7800 runs to 80 percent, above this formula’s 60 percent ceiling. It is an alternative, not an addition — ask that both be considered and the higher one assigned.
Reading “systemic therapy” as corticosteroids only — the current formula names corticosteroids, phototherapy, retinoids, biologics, photochemotherapy and PUVA, and says “including, but not limited to,” so systemic drugs outside that list count too. What decides the level is the total number of WEEKS on systemic therapy across the past 12 months, so keep a dated medication log. Topical creams are not systemic therapy no matter how strong they are.
Not documenting recurrence — chronic folliculitis comes back repeatedly. Keep a log of every outbreak with dates and treatment to show the ongoing nature of the condition.
Not connecting to military shaving requirements — pseudofolliculitis barbae (razor bumps) from mandatory shaving is very common in service. Document that military grooming standards caused or worsened your condition.
Forgetting to claim scarring separately — chronic folliculitis often leaves permanent scars. These scars may qualify for a separate rating under DC 7800-7805.
These apply to every C&P exam, whatever the condition.