What happens if you use too little developer?
14. What Happens If I Put Too Little Developer in The Dye? Your mix will be too dry, and you won't be able to saturate the hair properly with product and you may also get uneven and patchy color results. You will not be lifting out enough of the hair's natural melanin.
Choosing the wrong developer may leave you with a color formula with unpredictable results or damage your client's hair, so it's vital to make yourself aware of the details of developer.
If you put too much developer in hair dye, you will end up with a runny mixture and a disappointing color result. It's possible to save the mixture by adding more color, but this is difficult. Instead, it's best to throw the mixture away and start over.
So if your dye tube is of 50 ml, go for the same amount of the activator. What happens if you put too much of the developer in hair dye? The final shade will get diluted making the new color of your mane softer and weaker. Respectively, too little of it will result in unevenly colored strands.
Without bleach, 20 volume developer alone can lighten your hair by about one level. So if you're currently a level 5 light brown, using 20 volume developer alone can lighten it to a level 6 dark blonde.
The 20 volume mixture is the most common and is used in most box dye kits and other do-it-yourself, at-home, hair dyes, and lighteners. This 20 volume mixture is a less potent lightener, but it can lift a few tones (or shades) of hair color, but it usually damages the hair less than 30 or 40 volume bleach.
The 20 volume developer opens the hair cuticle but unlike 10 volume, it provides lifting of the hair by one to two levels. For instance, if you have more than 50% gray hair, 20 volume developer is the only developer to use for 100% gray coverage and a long-lasting color.
20 volume is the highest level of developer that should be used on the scalp with bleach as the scalp produces more heat and increases the power of the developer. 30vol developer is ideal for lifting 3 levels using permanent hair color depending on the texture and natural depth of the hair.
When diluting 40-volume developer to 20, you're essentially cutting the 40-volume developer to half its strength. Use a 1:1 mixing ratio for the desired results.
The volume developer that you should use depends on the results you want to achieve. With hair dye low volume developer is enough to lift the hair cuticle just enough for pigment to slip inside, but when bleaching your hair, you'll need a higher volume developer.
Can you use 30 volume developer twice?
We generally recommend a one time use only of 30 Vol developer. If you use it as we suggest, that one time use will be enough for you to get the lift that you need. After that, 20 Vol will be just right to get your client's hair to its final desired target hair color.
A: Use ratio is two to one. For example, if you're using 2 ounces of color, use 4 ounces of developer.

Adding more developer to hair dye will lighten your hair color, while adding less developer will darken it. If too much is used, it'll dilute the colorant so your hair color won't be as strong. Use too little and the hair dye might be too dark, to might not even color your hair at all.
We always suggest using a lower-volume peroxide and working with time and minimal controlled heat versus using a stronger peroxide level and trying to go faster, which can blow the cuticle. A slow lift is a better lift! The color formula should not be mixed until you are ready to apply.
Using too high of a volume can result in unnecessary lightening and major damage to the hair. Too low a volume, and you may not get as light as you want. Over 30 volume can be too strong and cause burns if it touches your scalp.
The best developer to use to darken hair is volume 20. Volume 30 and 40 will lift your hair color significantly, so the dye will not be as dark. If you already have dark hair, you can also use volume 20 developer to minimize damage.
The problem: Applying 20 Vol Developer on Natural Roots
Hot roots happen when you apply a colour mixed with a 20 vol developer to your natural root area as this strength developer lifts the hair slightly. This is more common with lighter shades and toners.
If you put a developer in your hair without any additional bleach, it will gently lift and lighten the color without causing too dramatic of a change. If you're worried that bleach is too harsh or will lighten your hair too much, you may want to try using developer by itself.
Blonde hair may lift 2 levels in as little as 10 minutes when you use 20 volume developer, while darker hair may take closer to 20 or 30 minutes to achieve 1-2 levels of lift with 20 vol developer. You should never leave bleach mixed with 20 vol developer on your hair for more than 30 minutes.
Absolutely! You can mix conditioner with a developer to make it slightly less damaging to your hair. Remember, if you choose to do this, you'll dilute the developer, so you might need to change how long you let it sit on your hair.
What is better 10 or 20 volume developer?
10 Volume is only used to open the cuticle layer so the color molecules deposit in the cortex for long-term results. Use 20 Volume when lifting hair color one or two levels (levels refer to the oxidizing potential).
20 Volume (6%) Developer
A common strength also with permanent hair colors, but it lifts the hair color level by 1-2 levels. A Volume 20 developer is usually the most common strength and has the best effect when a hair's starting level is not more than 1 shade darker than the color you wish to achieve.
Bleed the color out
A regular or clarifying shampoo would be the best product in this situation, and ideally, you should keep washing it until enough dark dye has bled out of your hair that you're happy with the resulting hue.
You should use a 10 or 20-volume developer to darken hair depending on the current color of your natural hair. If your hair is already dark, you can get away with using a 10-volume developer. But if your hair is light, you'll need to use a 20-volume developer to get to those deep, dark shades.
Use Measuring Cups
If you're wondering how to measure hair dye without a scale, then you'll need some measuring cups. Make sure that they're plastic, not metal. You can use a measuring cup to measure your color and developer before mixing. You can use two separate cups or a single one that you clean out between uses.
Types of Hair Developers and What They Do. You'll find hair developer in 4 volumes for home use, including 10, 20, 30, and 40. As you advance through the developer levels, your hair will lift quicker and to a higher level. This means that a higher volume developer is stronger than a lower volume developer.
If you are aiming to lift by 1-2 levels, you need 20 Vol developer. If you are aiming to lift by 3 levels and more, you need 30 Vol developer. If you are working with very dark hair, then you may need to do a first application with 30 Vol developer and then make a second application using 20 Vol developer.
30 Volume Developer (30V / 9% peroxide) will lift the hair up to 3 levels higher and is commonly used with lightener. 40 Volume Developer (40V / 12% peroxide) will lift the hair up to 4 levels. It is often used with lightener or high-lift blondes. Some high-lift colors even require double-40V for extra lift.
Here are the rules for developer choice when going lighter using regular professional color: Use 20 Vol if you are aiming for a 1-2 level lift. Use 30 Vol is you are aiming for a 2-3 level lift. Use 40 Vol if you are aiming for a 3 level lift and if the hair is particularly difficult to color.
For level-on-level coloring, for toning blonde highlights without lifting, and for tone-down coloring, use 10 Vol developer. For 1-2 levels lift, use 20 Vol developer. For 2-3 levels lift, use 30 Vol developer. For any lift higher than 3 levels, it is better to use bleach first, then color.
How strong of a developer should I use?
20 volume is likely the most used developer in the salon. Twenty volume will give 1-2 levels of lift when used with permanent hair color. On finer fabrics it may even give up to 3 levels of lift. It is the standard developer for grey coverage, however, a stronger developer may be needed for more resistant hair types.
' The main reason that you may find yourself with orange hair after bleaching is because it was insufficiently lightened and failed to reach the right shade of blonde. Many people who have tried lightening their hair only to come out with a brassy orange color are usually brunettes.
What is this? You should leave 30 volume bleach in your hair for no longer than 15 to 30 minutes. The exact amount of time depends on your natural hair color and your desired result. For instance, if you have brown hair and want to lighten it a bit, fifteen minutes will more than likely be enough.
You can tone your hair twice, but you shouldn't tone your hair twice during a short period of time. Toning your hair twice in one day will significantly damage your hair.
Mix your toner with a developer in a 1:2 ratio. Use an applicator brush to work the mixture into your hair, focusing on the areas with unwanted undertones. Leave the toner in for up to 45 minutes, then rinse, and wash with a moisturizing shampoo and deep conditioner.
Adding more developer to hair dye will lighten your hair color, while adding less developer will darken it. If too much is used, it'll dilute the colorant so your hair color won't be as strong. Use too little and the hair dye might be too dark, to might not even color your hair at all.
What is this? If you skip the developer and use a hair conditioner instead, your color might not take or will come out incredibly patchy and uneven. That is because conditioner and developer have two extremely different effects on the hair.
You should use a 10 or 20-volume developer to darken hair depending on the current color of your natural hair. If your hair is already dark, you can get away with using a 10-volume developer. But if your hair is light, you'll need to use a 20-volume developer to get to those deep, dark shades.
20 volume is the highest level of developer that should be used on the scalp with bleach as the scalp produces more heat and increases the power of the developer. 30vol developer is ideal for lifting 3 levels using permanent hair color depending on the texture and natural depth of the hair.
10 Volume is only used to open the cuticle layer so the color molecules deposit in the cortex for long-term results. Use 20 Volume when lifting hair color one or two levels (levels refer to the oxidizing potential).
What does 12% developer do?
40 volume developer (12% peroxide)
Serves only for lightening. Up to 8 levels of lift. Ideal for a super platinum blonde result. It is used together with a lightening cream or powder.
While developers are gentler than bleach, they will still damage the cuticle and lead to frizzing. Leaving a developer on for longer than recommended can cause severe damage to your hair. It's best to use developer only on healthy hair.
Hair developer is designed to be used with a hair toner, bleach, or hair color. When you use it by itself, the following can happen: Your hair may not lift enough, necessitating additional lightening sessions and more chemicals. Your hair could end up an odd shade that you didn't expect.
Wait At Least 2 Weeks to Re-Dye
This is especially true if you've used permanent hair color or a high-volume developer (30 or 40 volume). What is this? After the 2 weeks is up, you can safely re-dye your hair with demi-permanent dye.
If you're going darker, you should use 10 developer. 20 – 40 developer can be used to lift 1-4 levels. 20 developer is best for grey coverage.