10 or 20 or 30 Volume Developer for Covering Gray Hair: Which one is better
Do you also have this confusion: 10 or 20 or 30 volume developer for covering gray hair? I also had the same confusion last year when it was coloring my hair for the first time.
Today, in this guide, I will clear all your doubts regarding whether I should use 10, 20 or 30 volume developer for covering gray hair.
Most women thinks like using the strongest developer will give better results. This is the biggest mistake they make because there are certain conditions we need to check and follow when using hair developers.
Developers are designed to be used with hair color. It is also called hydrogen peroxide. Developer use with color or bleach. Alone, it can’t be used. The developer’s main job is to open the hair cuticles so that color or bleach penetrates deep inside and lifts the natural color of hair.
And you might have seen that developers come with different numbers like 10, 20, 30, or 40. The number tells the strength means a higher number means stronger and more powerful.
Let’s understand the differences between developers and their uses
10 Volume developer: It has 3% peroxide and its main work is to deposit color, toning. It can’t lift the hair color.
20 volume developer: It has 6% peroxide, and it can cover grays and can lift the color up to 2 levels.
30 volume developer: It has 9% peroxide and it is stronger than 20 volume developer and can lift hair color to 3-4 levels.
40 volume developer: It has 12% peroxide, and it is the strongest and can lift 4+ levels. It is not recommended for home use. Only a professional can use it as it is so strong that if you use it wrongly can severely damage or melt your hair.
Now understand whether a 10, 20 volume developer or a 30 volume developer is needed for covering gray hair.
20 volume developer for covering gray hair: First, always use 20 volume developer for covering grays, as 20 volume developer is perfect for covering grays. If you try 20 volume on gray hair and find that grays remain resistant, only then you should try 30 volume developer for extremely coarse or stubborn grays.
If you have damaged or fine hair, you should only use 20 volume developer, not 30 volume, as 20 volume reduces the risk of breakage, dryness, or hot roots, whereas 30 volume can damage your fine hair more.
Use 20 volume developer correctly: Typically, for resistant or stubborn grays, 20 volume works perfectly, provided you use it correctly. Once you apply the developer to gray hair, leave it at least 35 to 45 minutes for best use. Usually, covering grays takes more time than normal hair.
When to use 30 volume for covering grays: Use 30 volume developer when you want to cover grays and also want to lift hair color up to 3 levels.
Short processing window: when you want a fast result, such as in a salon setting where timing is tight. 30 volume process fast. However, it is quite risky.
Conclusion
Most of the people who just want to cover grays, not lifting hair color, and also don’t want to take risks, then 20 volume is a perfect option for them. 30 volume is usually used when you need to lift your hair color up to 3 levels. Along with lifting hair color, it lifts resistant grays as well. But if you want to cover grays only, 20 is the right choice without putting your hair in danger.