Dryness and Damage: As mentioned earlier, higher volumes of developers can cause severe damage and dryness. 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.
Over-processing: Too much developer can cause the hair dye to over-process, which means it stays on the hair for too long. This can result in damage to the hair, making it dry, brittle, and prone to breakage (1). Over-processed hair may also lose its natural shine and become dull.
It's a good chance that less developer will not allow the color to attach correctly and the color will simply slide off after a wash or three. But if you use too much developer it can water the color down and leave holes in your cuticle which is essentially super damaging.
yes, putting a stronger developer will allow more color to deposit. The higher the vol, the more the ``lift'' So if you have a level 3-4 hair and use a 40 vol developer, your hair will lift to a level 5-6 POSSIBLY to an orangish 7, but not likely quite that light.
Color and toner cannot be saved once they're mixed with developer. You're going to have to throw it away.
The fastest way to remove hair dye is typically by using a clarifying shampoo or anti-dandruff shampoo. These shampoos contain strong cleansing agents that can effectively strip color from the hair. It's important to follow up with a deep conditioning treatment, as these shampoos can be harsh and drying on the hair.
While properly stored hair dye can stick around for a good while, its effectiveness does fade over time. ⌛ Once you've mixed the dye with bleach or a developer, it's like a ticking clock – the potency slips away, making it unsafe for application.
For a more intense color, opt for a 1:1 ratio—equal parts of color and developer. If you want a more diluted shade or need to cover gray hair effectively, a 1:2 ratio—one part color to two parts developer—is recommended.
If your hair is brown, you may need to bleach it more than once before you apply the grey dye. It's important you get your hair as light as possible before you attempt to turn it grey – this will help ensure a more even tone and vibrant, all-over colour.
It's crucial to choose the appropriate developer volume based on your client's desired hair colour outcome and the condition of their hair. Higher volume developers can be more damaging to the hair, so it's important to follow the instructions provided with the hair dye or bleach product.
Dryness and Damage: As mentioned earlier, higher volumes of developers can cause severe damage and dryness. 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.
The standard developer for gray coverage is 20 Volume; however, 30 Volume and 40 Volume can also be used if the percentage of gray is low and additional lift is needed to achieve the desired result.
1:2 Hair dye to developer ratio
A 1:2 ratio means for every part dye, you add two parts developer.
While color treatments, heat tools, and more are great for achieving your desired look, too much can lead to damage and over-processed hair. Over-processed hair looks dull. It's also more fragile and prone to breaking. It tends to feel more matted, rough, and coarse.
20 volume hair developer
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. 20 volume developer is also a good option if you're looking to cover up some gray hair.
Pick a lighter hair colour
A lighter colour will then look better. Your hair follicles produce less pigment as you're turning older. If there's no more pigment being produced in the hair follicles, your hair turns pigmentless.
Developer alone won't make your hair darker or lighter. Its main purpose is to activate the color molecules in the hair dye and help them penetrate the hair shaft for a more permanent result. So if you want a lighter or darker shade, it's all about the hair dye you choose.
For example, using blue or purple helps counteract brassy tones for blonde hair colors. During your color formulation, your colorist will use these neutralizers to help tone down or “counteract” any unwanted brass. Think of it like how opposites attract, and essentially balance each other out.
What happens if you put too much developer in hair dye? Too much developer added to a hair color formula will dilute the artificial dye molecules, and add too much oxygen to the formula. This will typically display a sheer end result that does not have the depth you may have anticipated.
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.
To convert 2 ounces to cups, you can simply use 1/4 cup as a substitute. To get the number of cups from fluid ounces, you divide the number of ounces by 8. So 2 ounces divided by 8 equals 1/4 cup.
Apply color to your roots first. Hair that's been previously colored is porous and soaks up color easily, but new growth requires more processing time. Leave color on your roots for the full time and only process ends for half the required time. It'll give you a nice even color from root to tip.
ending up with a color that's too dark/too light
They think that if they leave the color in shorter, it'll be lighter. And conversely, if they leave the color in longer, it'll be darker. But just like filling up a cup of coffee, the fuller the cup, the longer the color will stay in your hair.
Processing time with grey hair
The pigments in the dye need more time to penetrate through that so they can do their job. So with grey hair it's also best to let the dye sit for 45 minutes from the moment you've finished applying all of the dye so you'll be sure you have enough coverage.