1. What This Condition Is
A scar is permanent tissue change left by a wound, burn, surgery, or skin condition. For veterans, scars come from IED blasts, shrapnel, gunshot wounds, burn injuries, surgical repairs, and traumatic accidents. The VA rates scars because they cause more than a cosmetic change: they can be painful, unstable (meaning the skin breaks down repeatedly), disfiguring, or functionally limiting depending on where they are located and what tissue lies beneath them. Some veterans dismiss their scars as minor compared to other conditions. That is a mistake. Painful or unstable scars carry their own rating and can stack with other ratings from the same injury.
2. VA Rating Criteria
Scars are rated under 38 CFR § 4.118, diagnostic codes 7800 through 7805. The correct diagnostic code depends on the location of the scar (head, face, or neck vs. body), the type (deep vs. superficial, linear vs. non-linear), and whether the scar is painful or unstable. Multiple diagnostic codes may apply to the same veteran depending on their specific scarring.
DC 7800 — Scars, Head, Face, or Neck (Disfigurement):
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 10% | One characteristic of disfigurement |
| 30% | Two to five characteristics of disfigurement |
| 50% | Six or more characteristics of disfigurement, OR with involvement of two or more of the following: nose, ears, lips, eyelids |
| 80% | With total loss of nasal tissue, pinna of both ears, or eyelids |
The eight characteristics of disfigurement under DC 7800 are: a scar 5 or more inches (13 cm) in length; a scar at least one-quarter inch (0.6 cm) wide at its widest part; a surface contour that is elevated or depressed on palpation; adherence to underlying tissue; skin that is hypo- or hyper-pigmented in an area exceeding 6 square inches (39 sq cm); skin texture that is abnormal (irregular, atrophic, shiny, scaly, etc.); a scar that has resulted in the loss of normal pigmentation in an area exceeding 6 square inches; or a scar that has resulted in the distortion of a facial feature.
DC 7801 — Scars, Other Than Head, Face, or Neck; Deep or Causing Limited Motion:
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 10% | Area or areas of 6 square inches (39 sq cm) or greater |
| 20% | Area or areas of 12 square inches (77 sq cm) or greater |
| 30% | Area or areas of 72 square inches (465 sq cm) or greater |
DC 7802 — Scars, Other Than Head, Face, or Neck; Superficial, Non-Linear:
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 10% | Area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq cm) or greater |
DC 7804 — Scars, Unstable or Painful:
| Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 10% | One or two unstable or painful scars |
| 20% | Three or four unstable or painful scars |
| 30% | Five or more unstable or painful scars |
An unstable scar is defined as one where, for any reason, there is frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar. A painful scar is one that the veteran consistently reports as causing pain. These ratings apply regardless of the scar's location and are in addition to any rating received under DC 7800, 7801, or 7802.
DC 7805 — Scars, Other (Causing Limitation of Function): Evaluated on the basis of limitation of motion of the affected body part. If a scar over a joint limits range of motion, it may be rated under the diagnostic code for that joint's limitation of motion instead.
3. What to Expect at Your C&P Exam
The examiner will physically examine every scar you report. They will measure the length, width, and surface area of each scar in centimeters and square centimeters. For head, face, or neck scars, they will document each of the eight characteristics of disfigurement present.
They will press on the scar to assess whether it is elevated, depressed, or adherent to underlying tissue. They will ask whether the scar causes pain and will document that as a yes or no. They will ask if the skin over the scar has broken down or opened on its own, which establishes instability. They will assess skin color changes (hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation) and texture abnormalities.
Bring photographs if you have them. Scars can look different on a given day, and photographs showing the scar at its most visible, or during a breakdown episode for unstable scars, help ensure the examiner's snapshot does not underrepresent what you actually live with. Photograph all affected areas before your exam.
4. Evidence You Need to Win
Diagnosis and Documentation: You need a medical record confirming each scar's origin: the surgery note, the wound documentation from the field, the burn injury record, or the emergency treatment record. This establishes service incurrence under 38 CFR § 3.303.
Nexus Letter: For traumatic scars, the in-service event is usually documented and the nexus is clear. For surgical scars, confirm the surgery was to repair a service-connected injury or condition. Your nexus letter should state the scar is directly related to the service-connected injury or its surgical treatment.
DBQ Form: VA Form 21-0960F-1 (Scars/Disfigurement DBQ). This form asks the examiner to document every measurement, location, characteristic, and pain or instability finding for each scar. Request that your treating provider complete this form before your C&P exam if possible.
Photographs: Photograph each scar from multiple angles under good lighting. Note the date and include a ruler or common object for scale. Photographs submitted before or after the exam are legitimate evidence. They are especially useful for scars with color abnormalities that may not photograph well in a clinical setting.
Personal Statement: Describe in your own words whether each scar is painful, whether the skin has opened or broken down, what triggers pain (pressure, cold, clothing contact), and how the scar affects your daily life. This is lay evidence under 38 CFR § 3.303(a).
Buddy Statements: Statements from people who have witnessed scar breakdown, your avoidance behaviors, or your pain reactions. A spouse who has seen the skin open at night, or a coworker who has observed you adjust clothing to avoid contact with a painful scar, can provide concrete lay evidence.
5. Secondary Conditions to Consider
PTSD: Visible, disfiguring scars, particularly on the face or neck, are associated with increased PTSD severity. Scars from violent or traumatic events can serve as constant reminders of that event. If your PTSD predates or is connected to the scarring incident, file both and document the psychological impact of the scar's visibility.
Depression: Chronic pain from painful scars and the psychological burden of visible disfigurement both contribute to depressive disorders. File depression as a secondary condition under 38 CFR § 3.310 with a nexus letter addressing the physical and psychological burden of the scarring.
Limitation of Motion of Underlying Joint: If a scar is located over or near a joint and limits range of motion, the limitation of motion may be separately ratable under the appropriate musculoskeletal diagnostic code. The scar and the joint limitation are distinct ratings.
Skin Conditions (Chronic Eczema or Dermatitis at Scar Margins): Unstable scars sometimes develop chronic inflammatory skin conditions at their margins. These may be separately ratable under 38 CFR § 4.118 depending on severity and surface area.
Nerve Damage (Peripheral Neuropathy): Traumatic scars, especially from blast or penetrating wounds, can involve underlying nerve damage. Peripheral neuropathy or painful nerve conditions (causalgia) in the scar territory may be separately ratable.
6. Common Mistakes That Kill Claims
Only reporting one scar when you have several. Each scar is evaluated separately. If you have one painful scar, that is DC 7804 at 10%. If you have three painful scars, that is 20%. List every scar, every location, every size. Do not let the examiner only look at the most prominent one.
Not reporting pain. Veterans often say "it is not that bad" during exams. If a scar hurts when pressed, when cold, or when clothing contacts it, say so. The rating under DC 7804 requires that you report pain. The examiner cannot give you credit for something you do not tell them.
Failing to document instability. If your scar has ever opened on its own, cracked, or required repeated bandaging, it may qualify as unstable under DC 7804. Photographs of a scar breakdown episode are the clearest evidence you can provide.
Accepting a cosmetic rating when function is limited. If the scar is near a joint and limits your range of motion, that limitation has its own rating under the appropriate joint diagnostic code. Both ratings can be assigned. Report functional limitation separately from the cosmetic findings.
Not filing scars from service-connected surgeries. If you had surgery to repair a service-connected injury, the resulting surgical scar is also service-connected. Many veterans do not realize this. File it.
7. FWD Assist Resources
The FWD Assist C&P Exam Prep Guide covers dermatological and soft tissue exams and helps you prepare to report scar characteristics accurately during your examination. The FWD Assist Secondary Conditions Guide explains how PTSD, depression, and nerve damage connect to traumatic scarring and how to build the secondary claim. If your scars are connected to a combat injury or MST, the FWD Assist PTSD Guide and FWD Assist MST Guide may be relevant to the full claim picture.
All books are available at fwdassisthq.com.
8. Get Help Without a Claim Shark
Free help is available through VSOs including the DAV, VFW, American Legion, and AMVETS. Your county veterans service officer (CVSO) can assist you at no cost. VA-accredited agents and attorneys can also provide representation.
Anyone who asks for money before an initial VA decision on your claim is breaking federal law under 38 USC § 5905. Accredited attorneys and agents may only charge a fee after an initial VA decision is issued, capped at 20% of any past-due benefits awarded. Do not pay upfront for claims help.
Find VA-accredited representatives at va.gov/ogc/accreditation.asp.