Skin§ 4.118Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 7804Scar(s), unstable or painful:

Rated from 10% to 30% under § 4.118. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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What each rating requires

The VA assigns the highest level your evidence actually supports. Read up the stack until your records stop matching.

  1. 30%

    Five or more scars that are unstable or painful

  2. 20%

    Three or four scars that are unstable or painful

  3. 10%

    One or two scars that are unstable or painful

From the schedule

Notes on this code

These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.

  • Note (1): An unstable scar is one where, for any reason, there is frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar.
  • Note (2): 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): Scars evaluated under diagnostic codes 7800, 7801, 7802, or 7805 may also receive an evaluation under this diagnostic code, when applicable

Unstable or Painful Scars (VA Diagnostic Code 7804)

Understanding how the VA rates unstable or painful scars under 38 CFR § 4.118.

What This Condition Covers

Diagnostic Code 7804 addresses scars that are unstable or painful. This rating falls under the Skin body system in the VA's rating schedule (§ 4.118).

According to the VA's rating rules:

  • An unstable scar is one where, for any reason, there is frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar.
  • A scar may qualify under this code because it is unstable, because it is painful, or both.

Available Rating Levels

The VA assigns a rating based on the total number of scars that are unstable or painful:

RatingWhat It Reflects
30%Five or more scars that are unstable or painful
20%Three or four scars that are unstable or painful
10%One or two scars that are unstable or painful

What the VA Looks For

When evaluating scars under Diagnostic Code 7804, the VA considers:

  • The number of scars that are unstable, painful, or both — this count determines which rating level applies.
  • Whether a scar is both unstable and painful. If one or more scars are both unstable and painful, the VA adds 10 percent to the evaluation that is based on the total number of unstable or painful scars.
  • Overlap with other scar codes. Scars evaluated under Diagnostic Codes 7800, 7801, 7802, or 7805 may also receive an evaluation under Diagnostic Code 7804, when applicable.

This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule under 38 CFR § 4.118, Diagnostic Code 7804. Individual evaluations depend on the specific findings in each case.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.118, diagnostic code 7804. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 7804 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Skin codes may cover your secondary conditions.

Find out which rating your evidence supports.

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