Beauty, at times, can be hard-earned. A few touches of enhancement here and there, especially on your hair, is never a bad idea.
As most people are uncomfortable with grey and white hair that comes with age, dying to achieve the desired color becomes a viable option.
Different color shades can be applied to end up with the desired hair complexion.
How well you get your hair dyed depends on the expertise of your hairdresser but, most importantly, on their color mixing skill.
Hair developers offer a solution to conceal less desired hair color, giving your hair a new elegant look.
At times doing your hair at home feels good. Without your hairstylist, you must follow some guides to have it right with your hair developer.
Hair Developer Explained
Hair developer is a product generally used with other colors or bleach to help it penetrate the hair cuticle.
By opening the cuticles, color can infiltrate, bringing forth the desired complexion. The hydrogen peroxide used in the hair developer facilitates its objective to deposit or lift color.
The result depends on your choice of the right developer and volume.
There are different hair developer volumes depending on the oxidizing capacity.
The most common hair developer volumes are 10, 20, 30, and 40. A 10-volume hair developer is used as a standard oxidizer that acts as a non-lift and gives your hair a slight permanent boost that blends with the original color of your hair.
It is mainly suited for thin hair. Volume 20 hair developer contains a moderate quantity of hydrogen peroxide and is mainly preferred for concealing grey hair.
It is mainly used for color lift and is suitable for thick hair. As volume 20 developers lift your hair by 1-2 shades, volume 30 goes the extra mile of lifting color by 3-4.
It contains more hydrogen peroxide than what is contained in volumes 10 and 20. This makes it more potent compared to the two and thus should not be used on fine hair as it can be damaging.
Of all the volumes, volume 40 hair developer is the strongest.
It is not advisable for use and used only be applied with the help of a professional. It is known to cause hair dryness and should not be applied at home.
How to Obtain a 20 Volume Hair Developer from 40 and 10
There are instances where you need to dilute your hair developer to form a less concentrated developer. A volume 40 developer, for instance, is generally harsh on hair and, therefore, not always recommended.
A volume 10, on the other hand, is too weak and wouldn’t work on thick hair.
Assuming you only find yourself stuck with volume 10 and volume 40 developer and want to lift your hair complexion by, say, two shades, how do you make volume 20 from the two volumes?
One can obtain a subsequent hair developer volume by mixing different quantities and dividing the total volume by the number of parts units used.
Some are straightforward, while others may require you to be keener with your mixing.
A volume 40 developer mixed in equal parts with a volume 10 would never result in a volume 20 hair developer but 25.
Volume 40 developer contains 12% hydrogen peroxide in percentage form, while volume 10 contains 3% hydrogen peroxide.
Mixing the two percentages will make 15% which, when divided by 2, will not be equal to 6%, the percentage of hydrogen peroxide in a volume 20 developer.
Mixing 1 part of 12% and 2 parts of 3% will give 18%, which, when divided into 3 parts, will make 6%.
Tips to Consider When Deciding On a Suitable Hair Developer
Consider the hair type. Determining the type of your hair is the first tip that should guide the choice of your developer.
Fine hair will require lighter developers, while thick hair will need you to use a higher volume as it is more resilient.
The quality of your hair is also to be considered. How effective the dyeing process will be will depend significantly on the quality of your hair.
Though normal hair will respond as expected, poor-quality hair may not blend well with some hair developers.
It would require you to use a mild volume so as not to cause more dryness and breakage.
You will also need to have in mind the preferred color shade.
Do you seek to have a darker shade or a lighter one?
Different volumes have different lifting capacities, and therefore your choice should put into consideration your desired outcome.
Likewise, the color type is also worth considering.
Do you wish to use a permanent or a temporary color on your hair?
Temporary colors blend well with weak developers, while permanent ones go well with moderate developers.
More vital developers, on the other hand, are used with lighteners for better results.
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