What Volumes of Developer Should I Use? (Complete Guide)

Let’s talk about the different volumes of developer!

If you’ve ever stood in the hair color aisle staring at developers and had absolutely no idea which one to grab, you’re not alone.

I answered this question constantly when I worked at Sally Beauty Supply. It’s one of those things that sounds complicated but is actually pretty simple once someone explains it clearly. So that’s what this post is going to do.

Here’s everything you need to know about the different volumes of developer, what each one does, and exactly which one to use for your specific situation.

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What Does Developer Do?

Developer is hydrogen peroxide in a cream base, and it’s the second part of your hair color formula. You mix it with the actual dye to activate it, and without it, the color molecules can’t penetrate your hair shaft.

They’d just sit on the surface and wash right off.

Here’s how it works: developer opens the hair cuticle, which is the outer protective layer of each strand. This allows color molecules to get inside the cortex where they can do their job.

The higher the volume, the more it opens the cuticle, and the more lift you get.

The volumes of developer refer to how much hydrogen peroxide the developer contains. More peroxide means more lift. Less peroxide means more deposit.

Hair Levels: What You Need to Know First

Before we get into the specific volumes of developer, it helps to understand hair color levels because this is what makes everything else make sense.

Hair color is measured on a scale from 1 to 10. Level 1 is black and level 10 is the lightest blonde. The higher the number, the lighter the hair. For example, medium brown is a level 4.

When you’re coloring your hair, you need to know two things: your current level and your target level. You can usually find your target level by looking at the number on your hair color box.

A color labeled 5N means the target result is a level 5.

To clarify, this doesn’t explain the color’s hue; it’s just a way to measure how light or dark the color is.

Lift vs. Deposit

This is the other thing you need to understand before choosing a developer.

Lift means making the hair lighter. If your hair is a level 5 brown and you want to go to a level 7 blonde, you need to lift two levels.

Deposit means making the hair darker. If your hair is a level 7 and you want to go to a level 5, you’re depositing color.

The volume of developer you choose depends entirely on whether you’re lifting, depositing, or somewhere in between.

Keep in mind that virgin hair color (hair that has never been colored) reacts differently than colored hair. Read more about the golden rule of lifting hair color.

What Are The Different Volumes of Developer?

10 Volume Developer (10V / 3% peroxide)

10 volume is the gentlest developer and the one you use when you only want to deposit color without any lift. It barely opens the cuticle, just enough to let color molecules in without causing any lightening.

Use 10 volume when you’re going darker than your current color, applying a toner or glaze, using a demi-permanent color, or adding a tint without changing your level.

10 volume will not lighten your hair, so don’t expect lift when you use it.

✅ Best for: Toning, glazing, going darker, demi-permanent color

⚠️ Won’t work for: Gray coverage, lifting, or lightening

💬 Products worth trying: Clairol Pure White 10 Volume Developer

20 Volume Developer (20V / 6% peroxide)

20 volume is the most commonly used developer in professional salons, and for good reason. It lifts the hair 1-2 levels and provides enough processing power for reliable gray coverage, making it the sweet spot for most standard color applications.

When I was in the salon, 20 volume was my default developer for the majority of color services. Most women doing standard all-over color at home should be reaching for 20 volume automatically.

Use 20 volume when you’re covering gray hair, staying at your current level or going 1-2 levels lighter, doing an all-over color with a standard permanent dye, or touching up roots.

✅ Best for: Gray coverage, standard permanent color, 1-2 levels of lift

⚠️ Heads up: Not strong enough for significant lift on dark or resistant hair

💬 Products worth trying: Clairol Pure White 20 Volume Developer

30 Volume Developer (30V / 9% peroxide)

30 volume lifts the hair up to 3 levels and is the developer you reach for when 20 volume doesn’t cut it. It’s commonly used with lightener and for more significant color changes on virgin hair.

Use 30 volume when you need more than 2 levels of lift, you’re lightening dark virgin hair, you’re using a high-lift blonde color on virgin hair, or you have resistant gray that 20 volume isn’t fully covering.

30 volume is more powerful than 20 and causes more cuticle disruption, which means more potential for dryness and damage if the hair is already compromised. Always assess the condition of your hair before reaching for 30 volume.

✅ Best for: 2-3 levels of lift, lightening virgin hair, resistant gray

⚠️ Heads up: More damaging than 20 volume, so check your hair’s condition first

💬 Products worth trying: Clairol Pure White 30 Volume Developer

40 Volume Developer (40V / 12% peroxide)

40 volume is the strongest developer you should ever use at home. It lifts the hair up to 4 levels and is typically used with lightener or high-lift blonde color on coarse, resistant virgin hair.

Here’s my honest advice about 40 volume: be careful with it. When used with bleach, 40 volume can cause serious damage if the hair is already compromised, over-processed, or fine.

The lift is powerful, but so is the damage potential.

Some high-lift colors even require a double 40 volume application for extra lift, but that’s a very specific situation and not something I’d recommend attempting at home without a solid understanding of hair chemistry.

✅ Best for: Maximum lift, high-lift blonde color on virgin hair

⚠️ Heads up: The most damaging developer. Never use on compromised or previously bleached hair.

5 and 6 Volume Developer

These lower-strength developers don’t come up as often but they’re worth knowing about. 5 and 6 volume are typically used with glazes and toners where you want to activate the color with minimal effect on the cuticle. They’re also used in some demi-permanent color lines.

They won’t lift your hair at all and won’t provide gray coverage. Their only job is to activate the color molecules with gentle processing.

Which Developer Do I Use With Bleach?

This is one of the most common questions I got at Sally Beauty, so let’s address it directly.

With bleach, the developer you choose depends on how much lift you need and the condition of your hair.

20 volume with bleach gives you a slower, gentler lift and is best for fine or fragile hair, or when you’re doing a subtle lightening service. It gives you more control over the process.

30 volume with bleach is the most common choice for standard bleaching services because it offers a good balance of lift and control.

40 volume with bleach gives you maximum lift but also carries the highest damage risk. Only use this if you have coarse, resistant virgin hair that truly needs it, and never on damaged or previously chemically treated hair.

A general rule: when in doubt, go lower. You can always re-bleach if you need more lift, but you cannot undo damage from using too strong a developer.

Which Developer Do I Use for Gray Coverage?

20 volume developer is the standard recommendation for gray coverage. It opens the cuticle enough for color to penetrate resistant gray hair and provides reliable, even coverage.

If your gray is particularly resistant and you’re not getting full coverage with 20 volume, you can try 30 volume, but always start with 20 first.

One important note: 10 volume is almost never enough for gray coverage. The cuticle doesn’t open sufficiently for the color to fully penetrate resistant gray strands, which is why coverage often looks patchy or fades quickly when 10 volume is used.

What Happens If You Use the Wrong Developer?

This is the part nobody talks about enough, so let’s cover it directly.

If you use too low a volume, the color won’t lift enough and you’ll end up with a result that’s darker or less vibrant than you wanted. With gray coverage, you might get patchy, uneven results that fade quickly.

If you use too high a volume, the color processes too fast and can lift more than you intended, leaving you with uneven color or unexpected warmth. With bleach, using too high a volume on compromised hair can cause breakage, and in extreme cases it can cause serious damage.

Using a 40 volume developer with permanent color when you only needed 20 won’t give you extra lift. It will just damage your hair more. Higher is not always better.

Quick Reference Guide

FAQ

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right developer comes down to knowing two things: what you’re starting with and what you’re trying to achieve. Once you understand lift vs deposit and how the volumes of developer work, the decision becomes a lot more straightforward.

When in doubt, go lower. You can always do another process if you need more lift, but you can’t undo damage from going too strong. And if you’re ever unsure, that’s what professionals are for.

Until next time,

🌟 Your Turn: Did you learn something new about the different volumes of developer? Do you have any questions about how it all works? Drop your thoughts in the comments section below! 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

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