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30 Volume Developer to Lighten Hair

Do you desperately want to have lighter hair? Are you someone who likes to use bleaches or dyes, but want to avoid going to an expensive hair product store?

Lightening your hair in the comfort of your own home without spending a fortune is easy to achieve, and using a 30 volume developer will help you reach that goal.

What is a 30 Volume Developer?

30 hair volume developer

When you lighten your hair, in general, you will need to purchase a hair developer. Typically, hair developers come in either cream or liquid forms and are used to bleach, dye, or lighten the hair.

Hair developer contains hydrogen peroxide, which acts to open the cuticles on your head. Then, the chemicals have the ability to osmotic hair more easily.

When you go to purchase hair developer, you may notice that they come in four different levels. Each level increases in increments of ten, so there are 10 volume, 20 volume, 30-volume, and 40-volume options.

If you want to lighten hair with a developer but have darker hair, 30 volume and 40 volume are recommended. You typically use ten and twenty-volume on lighter hair colors.

How to Lighten Hair with 30 Volume Developer

How to Lighten Hair with 30 Volume Developer (2)

You should know how to lighten hair with 30 volume developer before you begin the process. 30 volume developer is filled with strong chemicals and should generally only be used on hair that is very dark.

The day before you use a 30 volume developer, you should apply a deep conditioner to your hair. Doing so will help avoid damage to your hair that can happen when you use strong developers.

Always remember to wear gloves to protect your skin during this process.

Step One

Take your bleach powder and 30 volume developer and mix them in a bowl with a good ratio. The ratio can be anywhere from 1:1 or 1:2 or 1:3. If you use 1:1, it creates a mixture that is thick and good for highlighting your hair. The other options are more liquidy and are easier to apply to the hair.

Step Two

Next, you need to separate your hair into two parts. Using hair clips, separate your hair into the hair tip and the hair root sections.

Step Three

Using a brush or a comb, apply the bleach powder and 30-volume developer mixture to the tips of your hair. After you have coated the tip, move up the section to the hair root. Repeat this process until all of your desired hair is covered.

Step Four

The mixture needs time to rest in your hair to activate fully. Cover your hair with a large towel and wait about fifteen to thirty minutes, depending on how dark your hair is.

Step Five

Once the time is up, rinse your hair with warm water. If you wish, you can use a light shampoo to remove the products from your hair more thoroughly. Once you have done this, apply a hair toner to moisturize and strengthen your hair.

Using 30 Volume Developer to Lighten Black and Dark Hair Colors

Since it is a stronger developer, a 30 volume developer is one of the best product options to lighten black hair and dark hair colors. If you use a developer with a volume of over 40, there is a higher chance that there will be damage to your hair.

Though 10 volume developer and 20 volume developer are good products, they simply will not get the job done when dying black or dark hair.

If your goal is to lighten black or dark hair, a 30 volume developer is the best option for you. It is important to note if your hair is not naturally black (has been dyed black), it may take more than one pass of this process to achieve your desired results.

However, if you have naturally black hair, the result will be fantastic. 30-volume developers will lighten your hair up to four shades.

Can You Use 30 Volume Developer to Lighten Brown Hair?

Yes, a 30 volume developer will lighten brown hair. However, 10 volume developer and 20 volume developer is typically recommended for use on light hair colors like brown.

Depending on the color you wish to achieve from the lightening process, 30 volume developer can be a good fit. If you want to reach a very light hair color through this process and have already tried 10 and 20-volume developer, the 30-volume developer will work for you.

How to Lighten Hair with 30 Volume Developer

Sometimes, the peroxide levels in a 30-volume developer can be too strong, so you may want to consider diluting it with water.

Two to three cups of 30 volume developer with one cup of water should do the trick. Try not to use too much water, though, because the consistency can get ruined.

You should never use conditioner to dilute 30 volume developers. This is because every conditioner contains a different level of concentration, so it is almost impossible to figure out the accurate ratio to mix with 30 volume developer. If you want to dilute 30 volume developer, always opt for water. 

Can You Use 30 Volume Developer Alone to Lighten Hair?

If you try to lighten your hair using only a 30-volume developer and no bleach product, you will be very disappointed in the result. A 30-volume developer is not able to lighten your hair effectively by itself.

All it will do is lighten your hair a very small amount (think less than a shade lighter than your natural hair color). To get everything out of the lightening process, you should mix the 30-volume developer with bleach or dye powders for maximum results.

Conclusion

There is always a chance that lightening your hair with a 30 volume developer will cause issues with your hair. You should do some nourishing treatment for your hair monthly and try to let it dry naturally.

After reading through this breakdown of 30 volume developer, you should have a good understanding of how to lighten your hair the correct way. Always follow the guidelines on the bottles and recommendations of professionals before attempting to lighten your hair on your own.

FAQs About 30-Volume Developer

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about using a 30-volume developer to lighten your hair.

How long should I leave 30 volume developer on my hair?

You should only leave a 30 developer on your hair for fifteen to thirty minutes. The chemicals in the developer can be quite harsh, and leaving it on your hair for too long can cause significant damage.

If you are unsure about how long to leave a 30-vol developer on your hair, consult with your hair colorist, as the directions for using developers can vary depending on hair type and desired results.

Can I use 30 volume developer for permanent hair color?

You can use a 30 volume developer for permanent hair color. Be careful when using these developers, as there is a high risk of overprocessing and damage.

How many hair levels does 30 volume developer lift?

It can lift hair color three levels when used with a permanent hair color dye.

What’s the difference between 20 volume versus 30 volume developers?

20 volume developer is slightly gentler than 30 vol. developer and will lift the hair around one or two levels.

This developer is often used when coloring gray hair. 20-volume developer is the strongest developer that hair colorists will use with bleach.

What’s the difference between 30 and 40-volume developers?

40 volume developer is stronger than 30 volume developer. 40-volume developer can lift hair four or five levels. Since it is so harsh, it should be used in moderation by a qualified hair colorist.

Is using a 30 volume developer safe for hair?

30 volume developer is safe for hair when used under the advisement of a professional hair colorist. If the developer is too strong for your hair type or left on for too long, it can cause severe damage to your hair.

An experienced hair colorist should be able to determine what kind of developer is appropriate for your hair texture and the kind of dye you’re using.

Can I mix box dye with 30 developer?

You can mix box dye with 30 developer, but the combination might not give you the best results. Box dye is usually designed to work best when only using the products included in the package, as the chemical balance is very precise.

Misusing the developer with box dye may water down the dye, resulting in lighter hair with less vibrant color.

Can I mix 30 volume developer with purple shampoo?

No. It is a bad idea to mix 30 volume developer with purple shampoo. A developer is essentially hydrogen peroxide and is designed to open up the hair cuticle. Purple shampoo is meant for depositing purple pigment into the hair to tone blonde hair.

Combining purple shampoo with a developer will cause the purple pigment to be broken down by peroxide, usually resulting in a strange greenish color. Furthermore, the developer will lift some of the color in your hair, which won’t help with toning.

Does 30 volume developer expire?

Yes, 30 vol. developer does expire. The packaging should include an expiration date. If you aren’t sure if your developer is expired, check for a runny consistency and yellow color, both of which are typical signs of an expired developer.

Is 30 volume developer a bleach?

No, 30 volume developer is not the same as bleach. It is hydrogen peroxide and therefore can be used to lighten hair, but it will not have the same extreme lightening effects as bleach.

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