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10 Volume Developer To Lighten Dark Hair

If you have dark hair and want it to be slightly lighter but are afraid of going too light or damaging your hair, 10 developer is the answer.

You can use 10 volume developer to lighten dark hair by a shade or two or change the overall tint of your hair. 

What is a 10 Volume Developer?

10 volume developer

10 volume developer is a developer with 3% peroxide content. This low peroxide content means the developer doesn’t lift much color from hair and achieves very little penetration. Dyes mixed with 10 vol developer are considered semi-permanent.

You can use developers in two different ways. In most cases, developer is mixed with hair dye or other products like dye, bleach, or toner. The developer opens the hair cuticle and allows hair dye, bleach, or toner to set in. 

You can also use 10 volume developer without additional products to lighten dark hair. While 10 volume developer will not lighten your hair much, it is much safer for hair and can be great for those that just want to change their tint.

What Is 10 Volume Developer Used For?

10 developer is often used in combination with toner or glaze. The peroxide in the developer helps the toner penetrate the hair shaft more deeply.

10 vol can also be mixed with bleach to lighten hair even more. The developer will allow the bleach to work more effectively in your hair.

You can also use 10 volume developer to lighten hair tint or create some highlights in black or dark brown hair.

When to Use 10 Vol Developer?

You should use 10 developer when you want to change the tint of your hair to a lighter one. 10 developer can take medium brown cool toned hair to a warmer toned medium brown.

How To Lighten Dark Hair With 10 Developer

Lightening Dark Hair With 10 Volume Developer and Bleach

There are two ways to lighten your dark hair with 10 developer. The first is to mix it with bleach. The second is to use 10 volume developer on your hair by itself.

Mixing the developer with bleach will yield better results but damage your hair more. Using a 10 vol developer by itself will lighten your hair very slightly.

You will need gloves, a waterproof shower cap, and a shower for both processes.

Lightening Hair With 10 Volume Developer and Bleach

Always use gloves to protect your hands when you are using bleach. Wear clothes that you will not be upset about spoiling and always ventilate your workspace to prevent bleach poisoning.

  • Step One: Mix your hair bleach of choice with 10 volume developer. For the best results, use one part bleach to two parts developer.
  • Step Two: Completely saturate your hair with the bleach and developer mixture.
  • Step Three: Cover your hair with a shower cap. Ensure all parts of your hair are covered so they don’t dry out.
  • Step Four: Leave your hair covered for at most 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

If you feel itchy or your scalp burns at any point while bleaching your hair, rinse the bleach immediately.

Lightening Hair With 10 Volume Developer Alone

Lightening your hair with 10 volume developer is almost identical to the process used to bleach your hair.

  • Step One: Completely saturate your hair with the developer.
  • Step Three: Cover your hair with a shower cap. Ensure all parts of your hair are covered, so they don’t dry out.
  • Step Four: Leave your hair covered for at most 40 minutes. Rinse.

How long Does a 10-volume Developer Take to Lighten Hair?

To change the tint of your hair, leave 10 volume developer on for twenty to forty minutes. You should spread out the developer uses over several weeks to achieve more significant lightening.

Conclusion

It isn’t common to use 10 volume developer to lighten dark hair, but it is possible if you do it for more than one session. Otherside, you can use it to change the tint of dark hair.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions about using 10 volume developer to lighten dark hair.

Can 10-volume developer cover grey?

No, 10 vol developer will likely not do much to cover grey hair.

Can I use 10 volume developer with toner?

Yes, 10 volume developer works well with toner.

How can you make 30 volume developer into 10?

You can turn 30 volume developer into 10 volume developer by mixing one part 30 volume developer with two parts water.

Can I dilute 10 volume developer to 5?

Yes, you can dilute 10 volume developer into 5 volume developer by adding water. 10 developer is 3% peroxide, and 5 vol developer is 1.5% peroxide, which means that a 1:1 mixture of 10 and water will create 5 volume developer.

Can 10 volume developer damage hair?

All developers can damage hair if left on too long. To prevent this, do not leave 10 vol developer on your hair for more than 40 minutes.

10 or 20 developer- which is stronger?

20 volume developer is more potent than 10 volume developer. 20 developer has 6% peroxide, while 10 vol has 3% peroxide.

How much 10 volume developer should I use?

If mixing with bleach, mix 1 part bleach to 2 parts developer. If you are using 10 volume developer by itself, use enough to saturate the parts of your hair you want to lighten.

Can 10 developer really lighten hair?

Yes, 10 volume developer can lighten hair if left on for a significant time or used for more than one session.

10 volume developer vs. 40 – what’s the difference?

40 volume developer is stronger than 10 volume developer by quite a bit. 40 volume developer is 12% peroxide while 10 volume is only 3%.

Is 10 volume developer permanent?

Any lift that you achieve with 10 volume developer will be permanent. Toner or dye mixed with 10 volume developer usually produces a semi-permanent color change.

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