10 Volume Developer: Best for slight color deposit or darkening natural hair. It doesn't lift, so it's not ideal if you're looking for a lighter shade. 20 Volume Developer: Ideal for one to two levels of lightening and effective for gray coverage. Great for both depositing color and subtle lightening.
Get your lightening on with Salon Care 20 Volume Crème Developer. This regular lift formula provides a thick gel consistency that's easy to handle with maximum color deposit. Lighten and color in just one step by mixing it with your shade of choice or with a lightening powder for a brighter base.
Lightening Process: A 20 volume developer is commonly used for semi-permanent or permanent hair color and can lift the hair color by about 1-2 levels, depending on the original color and condition of your hair.
If you want to DEPOSIT COLOR or GO DARKER you can use 7 Vol. to 10 Vol. If you want to stay the same Level or go SLIGHTLY Lighter (1 to 2 Levels) 15 Vol. to 20 Vol. If you want to go 3 to 4 Levels LIGHTER, 25 Vol. to 30 Vol.
If hair is relaxed, use 20 volume developer only. Add entire contents of Excellence HiColor HiLights tube and mix thoroughly until smooth and creamy. Application: Always apply hair color to dry, unwashed hair immediately after mixing.
Your toner must be mixed with developer. Developer (also called peroxide) activates the toner - without it your toner won't work. It is recommended to use 20 Vol Developer with Wella Toners, but you can also choose to use 10 Vol Developer if that suits you better. 20 Vol Developer: This is the stronger choice.
If you're going for maximum lift, you'll likely use 40 volume developer. But if your natural color is already very light, you can likely get away with 20 volume. Most brands require double the developer to color ratio, but always check before mixing.
If you're looking to maintain your natural hair color or darken it slightly, 20 volume developer is a good option. It won't lighten your hair much, but it will help the hair dye to better penetrate the hair shaft and result in longer-lasting, more vibrant color.
A 20 Volume developer provides a lift of 1-2 levels, which is great for subtle changes and gray coverage. For a more significant lift of 2-3 levels, opt for a 30 Volume developer.
Using too much 20 volume developer can lead to over-processing, which means that the hair cuticles can get damaged, leaving the hair looking dull, dry, and brittle. Plus, the color won't turn out the way you want it to, and you might even end up with a funky, uneven color that looks like a tie-dye gone wrong.
Mix the 20-volume developer with your chosen hair color or bleach in the recommended ratio, usually 1:1 or 1:2.
Wait and Process: Follow the recommended processing time on your hair dye instructions, usually 30-45 minutes. Remember, leaving the color on longer won't necessarily make it more effective and can risk damage.
Just make sure you're using the correct volume, opting for 6% (20 volume) to cover grays or reach one level of lift, 9% (30 volume) for two levels of lift, and 12% (40 volume) for three levels of lift.
10 volume developers contain 3% hydrogen peroxide. These developers are also called no lift developers because they only provide moderate lift to your cuticles, i.e., lift by 1 level. This developer is perfect for when you are going to color your hair a darker color than the natural shade.
But we don't recommend that you apply just developer to the hair. You will get an uncontrolled lift, without any re-coloration and you will end up damaging the hair. Always use developer combined with bleach or color or toner. Never by itself.
The developer found in box color ranges between 20 and 40 volume because that is what is needed to cover gray or to change a very dark shade. Frequently coating the hair shaft with a high volume developer will cause damage, particularly if the starting condition is weakened or fragile.
From a strand test, you should also get a better sense of how many sessions you'll need to make the full transition. For example, going from dark brown to light blonde hair may require three to four sessions.
The Color Wheel Shows You Which Hues Tone Orange Hair
It tells you which hues 'cancel' each other out for a balancing effect. In the case of orange hair, a touch of blue pigment will cool and calm hair that is too warm, while a hint of violet is also helpful for yellow/orange strands, on a level 7.
Common Volumes of Developer
It's also a good volume to use with a lot of toners. 20 volume: This is stronger than 10 volume and it's commonly used for lightening hair at home as it lifts 1 to 2 levels.
At the salon I was able to bleach my cousins deep dark hair blonde using a 20 developer, it just takes longer you just have to make sure it doesn't dry out and it should be fine. 20 developer works slower so it's easier to get an evenly bleached.
Going from dark to light too quickly can cause your hair to become dry, brittle, and weak. It's not worth risking your hair by using bleach. The fact that there are factors that determine how light you can go in one session is another reason why we recommend bleaching your hair in multiple sessions.
If you use too much hair colour and developer, the excess peroxide can strip your hair of its natural oils, leaving it brittle and prone to breakage. Irritation at the Scalp: Using more hair colour than a developer can also result in scalp irritation due to the chemical reaction between dye and peroxide.
Note: High-lift colouring products are higher in alkalinity and are designed to achieve lighter colour results. These are recommended to be used with either 30-volume or 40-volume developers.
“It all depends on how light you want to go and what was previously done to the hair,” says Pearl. “On virgin hair, you can most likely lift up to seven levels [in one session]. This can become harder on a darker level hair.”
20volume will give 1-2 levels of lift when used with permanent hair color. It is the standard developer for grey coverage, however, a stronger developer may be needed for more resistant hair types. 20 volume should not be used as a developer for toner or glazes especially when wanting to maintain a natural base.