We’ve talked about hair color dyes more than once and we’ve often touched on hair developer and how it’s a part of certain color dyes. It is worth exploring what is hair developer, however, what does hair developer do, and how it should be used.
When most people hear about hair color developer they think of it as a way to cover grey hair, but it’s more than that.
What is hair color developer?
Hair color developers are products that enable hair color dyes to penetrate the cuticle of the hair, prolonging the coloring effect of the dye. They are present in all permanent hair dyes and contain hydrogen peroxide. Hair developers can either lift or deposit the color dye, and it can also be used with bleach.
Hair developers can also come in different types, however, and those determine the effect of the hair dye so they should be chosen carefully as well.
What is the hair color developer chart?
Hair developers differ from one another mostly by their level. The hair developer level is measured in volumes that typically fall in one of four categories – 10, 20, 30, and 40, however, when we factor in the dye’s color we end up with a more complex hair color developer chart.
Still, even inside the hair color developer chart, the role of the hair developer is still determined by its 10-40 level. Volume 10 developers are the standard oxidizing developers for permanent, no-lift hair color dyes that are used when you just want to add some color to your hair.
Volume 20 hair developers, on the other hand, lift the original color of the hair by one or two levels. Volume 30 hair developer works on the same principle but can lift even more of the original hair’s color, and volume 40 developers are the strongest type, capable of removing multiple shades from your hair, however, they can also be damaging if you’re not careful.
Does hair developer expire?
If you’re wondering how long your hair developer is going to last once the bottle has been opened, that depends on the brand and type of the developer. Generally, if you keep the bottle away from sunlight, at moderate temperatures, and make sure it’s well sealed, it can last several months without deteriorating. However, oxidation will eventually deteriorate the developer and you can’t really hope that a bottle will last more than a year.
Still, consulting with the vendor of the specific hair developer product will yield a more precise timeframe.
Is there a good substitute for hair developer?
When it comes to dyeing your hair, you can use hair dyes with no hair developer – they just won’t have a permanent effect and will only last for several showers. Still, that may be worth it if you’re worried that your hair’s not well-equipped to endure a strong developer.
When it comes to bleaching, however, we wouldn’t recommend using hair bleach with a cheap OTC hydrogen peroxide instead of with hair developers. Hair developers are specifically designed to be as protective of your hair and scalp as possible while standard hydrogen peroxide can result in some very serious burns.
