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Hair Care Product
Updated July 11, 2025
Developer (hair product)
A developer activates hair color or bleach to lighten or change your shade. It works with dye to break down your natural pigment.
Category
Hair Care Product
Use Case
Used to lighten or remove color from hair strands during the coloring process.
Variants
Cream developer, Liquid developer, Powder developer
Key Features
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Heat activated bond builder
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Strengthens weak or damaged hair
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Seals split ends temporarily
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Adds shine without grease
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Works on all hair types
In Simple Terms
What it is
A developer, in hair products, is a liquid or cream that helps activate hair color or bleach. Think of it like a helper that unlocks the color-changing power of dye or lightener. Without it, the color wouldn’t stick or lighten your hair effectively.
Why people use it
People use developers to achieve their desired hair color, whether it’s covering grays, going darker, or lightening their shade. It’s like the engine in a car—the dye or bleach is the fuel, but the developer makes it work. Here’s why it’s essential:
It opens the hair cuticle (the outer layer) so color can penetrate.
It controls how light or dark the result is, depending on the strength.
It ensures the color lasts longer by bonding it to your hair.
Basic examples
Imagine you’re painting a wall: the dye is the paint, and the developer is the primer that helps the paint stick. Here’s how it works in real life:
For covering grays: A developer mixes with permanent dye to blend gray hairs seamlessly.
For bleaching: A strong developer lifts your natural color so blonde shades can show up.
For subtle changes: A mild developer with demi-permanent dye adds shine or refreshes color without drastic change.
Developers come in different strengths (like 10, 20, 30, or 40 volumes), which act like "heat settings" for hair color—higher numbers mean more lifting power. For example, 10 volume is gentle for subtle changes, while 40 volume is for major lightening. Always pick the right one for your goal!
A developer, in hair products, is a liquid or cream that helps activate hair color or bleach. Think of it like a helper that unlocks the color-changing power of dye or lightener. Without it, the color wouldn’t stick or lighten your hair effectively.
Why people use it
People use developers to achieve their desired hair color, whether it’s covering grays, going darker, or lightening their shade. It’s like the engine in a car—the dye or bleach is the fuel, but the developer makes it work. Here’s why it’s essential:
Basic examples
Imagine you’re painting a wall: the dye is the paint, and the developer is the primer that helps the paint stick. Here’s how it works in real life:
Developers come in different strengths (like 10, 20, 30, or 40 volumes), which act like "heat settings" for hair color—higher numbers mean more lifting power. For example, 10 volume is gentle for subtle changes, while 40 volume is for major lightening. Always pick the right one for your goal!
Technical Details
What It Is
A developer, in the context of hair products, is a chemical agent used to activate and facilitate the process of hair coloring or lightening. It falls under the category of oxidative hair products, which rely on chemical reactions to alter hair pigment. Developers are typically paired with permanent or demi-permanent hair dyes and lighteners to achieve desired results.
How It Works
Developers work by releasing oxygen when mixed with an oxidative hair color or lightener. This oxygen reacts with the hair’s natural melanin or artificial pigment, either depositing new color or lifting existing shade. The strength of the developer determines the extent of the reaction:
The chemical reaction involves ammonia or ethanolamine in the dye, which opens the hair cuticle, allowing the developer to penetrate and modify the hair’s cortex.
Key Components
Developers consist of:
Common Use Cases
Developers are used in: