38 CFR Part 4 — 38 CFR § 4.118

Alopecia areata — VA Diagnostic Code 7831

Skin

Diagnostic code

7831

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38 CFR § 4.118 lists Diagnostic Code 7831 as “Alopecia areata:”. The title ends with a colon. The rating cell on that title is empty. Loss of all body hair is 10. Loss of hair limited to scalp and face is 0. Appendix B to Part 4 indexes “Alopecia areata.”

Reviewed 2026-10-05. Text checked against the eCFR versioner full-text XML for 2026-10-01 on 2026-10-05. Title 38 was up to date as of 2026-10-01 and last amended on 2026-08-27. The § 4.118 source note prints 67 FR 49596, July 31, 2002; 67 FR 58448, 58449, Sept. 16, 2002; 73 FR 54710, Oct. 23, 2008; 77 FR 2910, Jan. 20, 2012; 83 FR 32597, July 13, 2018; 83 FR 38663, Aug. 7, 2018.

The rating criteria at each level

7831 Alopecia areata

Rating %: 10

Criteria (verbatim). With loss of all body hair

Rating %: 0

Criteria (verbatim). With loss of hair limited to scalp and face

Rating %	Criteria (verbatim)
10	With loss of all body hair
0	With loss of hair limited to scalp and face

Neither line ends with a period.

DC 7831 does not say “Evaluate under the General Rating Formula for the Skin.”

DC 7830 is “Scarring alopecia:”. More than 40 percent of the scalp is 20. Twenty to 40 percent of the scalp is 10. Less than 20 percent of the scalp is 0. Those scalp-percent lines are not printed on DC 7831. DC 7832 is hyperhidrosis, with 30 and 0. 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher rating when the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating. Otherwise, the lower rating will be assigned. 38 CFR § 4.6 requires each element affecting the evidence to be studied so that decisions will be equitable and just. 38 CFR § 4.14 says the evaluation of the same disability under various diagnoses is to be avoided, and that the evaluation of the same manifestation under different diagnoses is to be avoided.

The 2026-10-01 text of 38 CFR § 3.309 does not contain “alopecia.” DC 7831 prints its own 0 percent line, so the page does not use § 4.31 to supply one.

Source: 38 CFR § 4.118, Diagnostic Code 7831, eCFR full-text XML for 2026-10-01.

What the words mean in your records

All body hair is the 10 percent line

The 10 percent line says “With loss of all body hair.” The 0 percent line says “With loss of hair limited to scalp and face.”

Scarring alopecia is DC 7830

DC 7830 uses percent of the scalp: more than 40 percent is 20, 20 to 40 percent is 10, and less than 20 percent is 0. DC 7831 does not print those scalp percentages.

This code is outside the skin formula

DC 7831 prints 10 and 0 on its own rows. It does not say to evaluate under the General Rating Formula for the Skin.

Evidence that speaks to each level

10 or 0

What the rater needs to see. Loss of all body hair for the 10 percent line, or loss of hair limited to scalp and face for the 0 percent line.

Where that usually lives. The skin examination that records the extent of hair loss.

Scarring alopecia

What the rater needs to see. DC 7830 is a different title. Its lines use percent of the scalp. A decision that names scarring alopecia is not using the DC 7831 lines.

Where that usually lives. The decision, if it names DC 7830.

Level	What the rater needs to see	Where that usually lives
10 or 0	Loss of all body hair for the 10 percent line, or loss of hair limited to scalp and face for the 0 percent line.	The skin examination that records the extent of hair loss.
Scarring alopecia	DC 7830 is a different title. Its lines use percent of the scalp. A decision that names scarring alopecia is not using the DC 7831 lines.	The decision, if it names DC 7830.

VA’s public DBQ list, checked October 5, 2026, names “Skin Diseases.” The file is Skin Diseases.

The exam form

DC 7831 prints 10 and 0. This page does not say the skin form replaces those two lines.

Related codes and how they interact

Scarring alopecia uses scalp area.

DC 7830 rates scarring alopecia by the percent of the scalp affected. DC 7831 rates alopecia areata by whether hair loss is all body hair or is limited to the scalp and face.

Secondary conditions and presumptions

Section 3.309 does not contain “alopecia.” This page does not add DC 7831 to a presumptive row.

A separate question, when a presumption does not decide it, is a medical question on the facts under 38 CFR § 3.310. Paragraph (a) covers disability proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. Paragraph (b) covers increase in severity and requires a medical baseline.

Short answers

How does VA rate alopecia areata under DC 7831?

Under 38 CFR § 4.118, alopecia areata is 10 percent with loss of all body hair and 0 percent with loss of hair limited to scalp and face. Education only. VA decides on the evidence.

What does Appendix B call this code?

Appendix B indexes “Alopecia areata.” The rating table uses the same words and ends the title with a colon. Education only.

FAQ

What percentages does DC 7831 print?

10 percent with loss of all body hair, and 0 percent with loss of hair limited to scalp and face. Education only.

Is scarring alopecia this code?

No. DC 7830 is scarring alopecia. Its lines are 20, 10, and 0 by percent of the scalp. Those lines are not on DC 7831.

Does alopecia areata use the general skin formula?

DC 7831 does not say to evaluate under the General Rating Formula for the Skin. It prints its own 10 and 0 percent lines.

Next steps

Read the decision for DC 7831 and whether it used the 10 percent line or the 0 percent line.
The free worksheet is a place to write the code, the findings, and the records you already have. It does not file a claim or protect a filing date. An accredited representative is at find a VSO.
Other skin codes are on the skin diagnostic-code index. The category page is skin conditions.

Education only. Not legal or medical advice. My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative and does not file claims. VA decides every claim on its own evidence.

Other codes in this body system

Nearby catalog entries in Skin, ordered by diagnostic code number. All Skin codes

Also: DC code lookup (tools) lists the same index in a compact layout.

Source: 38 CFR Part 4, Diagnostic Code 7831 • va.gov

⚠️ Important Disclaimer

This page provides general educational information based on public VA regulations and VA.gov resources. It is not legal or medical advice, and My Claim Packet is not a VA-accredited representative. Any worksheets or draft documents produced by the tools must be reviewed for accuracy and are not filed with VA for you. Ratings and service connection are decided case-by-case from the individual record. Consult a VA-accredited VSO, claims agent, attorney, or qualified clinician for help with your situation, and verify current rules using the linked official source.