Skin Conditions (Dermatitis and Eczema) Claims Guide
Chronic skin conditions like dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis are rated in an unusual way: the VA looks at how much of your body is affected and what treatment it takes to control, then pays on whichever is higher. Two things decide most of these claims, how the coverage is measured, and whether your treatment counts as systemic. This guide explains how DC 7806 works, the flare-up timing that can make or break the exam, the toxic-exposure links, and the evidence that wins.
What This Guide Covers
Most chronic rashes are rated as dermatitis or eczema, diagnostic code 7806, under the skin schedule (see 38 CFR § 4.118). The same framework covers many related conditions, and several point back to 7806 for how they are scored:
- Eczema and dermatitis: DC 7806.
- Psoriasis: DC 7816.
- Fungal infections and ringworm (tinea): DC 7813.
- Other skin infections and disorders: DC 7820 and neighboring codes.
Disfiguring scars of the head, face, or neck are rated separately under the scar codes. See the scars and burns guide.
The Two Rating Paths (This Is the Whole Game)
DC 7806 gives you two ways to reach a rating, and the VA uses whichever is higher:
- How much skin is affected: the percentage of your entire body or of exposed areas (face, neck, hands) covered by the condition.
- What treatment it takes: the total time over the past 12 months you needed systemic therapy, corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs that act on the whole body.
How It Gets Service Connected
- Direct. A skin condition that started in service, documented in service treatment records or shown to be continuous since, with a current diagnosis and a nexus.
- Toxic exposure. Some skin conditions are tied to exposures, for example chloracne linked to Agent Orange, or unexplained chronic rashes in Gulf War veterans that can be claimed as an undiagnosed illness. See Agent Orange and the Gulf War illness guide.
- Secondary. A skin condition caused or worsened by another service-connected condition or its treatment, for example a medication side effect. See secondary conditions.
Across published DC 7806 decisions, here is how often the Board granted by the legal theory the claim was argued on:
Common Secondary Conditions
Skin conditions connect to other claims in both directions, often through a shared exposure or a treatment side effect. Each bar below is the Board's grant rate for DC 7806 in that pairing, with the number of decisions under it. They describe the published record across many veterans, not a prediction about any one claim.
Conditions linked as causing the skin condition (dermatitis as the secondary)
Claims where the skin condition was argued as secondary to an already service-connected condition:
Conditions the skin condition is linked to causing (dermatitis as the primary)
Conditions veterans have claimed as caused or aggravated by a service-connected skin condition:
How the VA Rates Dermatitis and Eczema (DC 7806)
Take the higher of the body-area path and the systemic-therapy path.
| Rating | Body area affected | Or systemic therapy in the past 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| 60% | More than 40% of the whole body or of exposed areas | Constant or near-constant systemic therapy |
| 30% | 20 to 40% of the whole body or of exposed areas | Systemic therapy for a total of 6 weeks or more, but not constant |
| 10% | 5 to less than 20% of the whole body or of exposed areas | Systemic therapy for a total of less than 6 weeks |
| 0% | Less than 5% of the whole body and of exposed areas | No systemic therapy needed |
Psoriasis (DC 7816) uses the same body-area and systemic-therapy scale. Some skin conditions rated as scars or disfigurement are scored under the scar codes instead.
- What the VA measures at your C&P exam
- Evidence that has won at the Board
- Inside the rater's playbook: grant, denial, and remand rates
- Secondary condition map
The Flare-Up Rule (Time the Exam Right)
Keep dated photographs of your skin during flares and note how often they happen and how long they last. That record helps show the true extent when the exam happens to fall on a good day.
Evidence That Wins
- A treatment record showing systemic therapy, the drug, the dose, and the total time on it over the past year, since that path can carry a higher rating than body area alone.
- A body-area measurement of the percentage of the whole body and of exposed areas affected, taken during an active flare.
- Dated flare photographs and a log of how often and how long flares last, to counter an exam done on a clear day.
- A nexus opinion linking the condition to service, a toxic exposure, or another service-connected condition. See nexus letters.
- The Skin Diseases DBQ, which records the coverage, the treatment, and the flare pattern the rating depends on. See the DBQ guide.
Common Mistakes
The same handful of missteps account for most lost or under-rated skin claims. Among the Board's classified service-connection denials for dermatitis and eczema, here is what claims most often fell short on:
- Being examined on a clear day. A condition that flares must be assessed during an active phase. An exam during a quiet period undercounts the coverage and the rating.
- Not documenting systemic therapy. The treatment path can pay more than body area, but only if the record shows the drug and the total time on it over the past 12 months.
- Confusing topical with systemic. A cream on a patch of skin is generally not systemic therapy. Know which path your evidence actually supports before you argue the rating.
- Measuring only the whole body. The rating uses the higher of whole-body or exposed-area coverage. A condition concentrated on the face and hands can rate higher on the exposed-area measure.
- Missing the exposure or secondary link. For toxic-exposure or secondary claims, a missing nexus is a leading denial reason. Connect the condition to the exposure, service, or the other service-connected condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the VA rate eczema?
Does my steroid cream count as systemic therapy?
My C&P exam was on a day my skin was clear. What can I do?
Can I connect my rash to Agent Orange or Gulf War service?
Is a disfiguring scar rated the same way?
Related Tools and Guides
Sources: 38 CFR 4.118, skin ratings · CCK Law, eczema · Hill & Ponton, eczema. Educational only, not legal advice, and not a prediction of any individual claim. Rating criteria change; confirm current details in 38 CFR 4.118. For help with your claim, find a VA-accredited representative.