Hair Color HEADS To the Stratosphere : Alkali, Hydrogen Peroxide & Ammonia

As much as no one wants to talk about the technical part regarding Hair color, I want you to make yourself read it and re-read it, a light-bulb will come on I promise you. My first career couldn't have been farther away from being a Hair Colorist ( professional athlete) ...........therefore if I can learn this crap..so can you ! ! ! ;)

THE  EFFECTS  OF  Ammonia  &  HYDROGEN  PEROXIDE

Hydrogen peroxide alone will not lighten hair easily; it alone is not a decolorizer because of its acidic pH level. It must be combined with an alkaline source to produce a chemical reaction with the color dye and the pigment in the hair strands.

The most common alkaline agent used in hair.coloring products is ammonia.

In addition to maintaining stability of the color tint , ammonia swells the hair strand, which helps the dye molecule penetrate the cuticle and cortex layers. Ammonia also acts as a catalyst to activate hydrogen peroxide, which helps the dye molecules to couple and form.

Hydrogen peroxide in combination with ammonia will break some of the internal disulphide bonds found in the cortex of the hair.Now this is what a lot of people will ask me about...."Does bleach break the disulphide bonds in hair?" .......and to be honest I have to tell them YES. But if one uses Gleam prior to coloring that little process and application alone will help prevent those breaks....TRULY and that is because the lipids soak into the hair strands.

This IS IMPORTANT:....

Di-sulfide bonds are responsible for hair's stability and strength

• In a typical hair-color process, approximately 10% of existing disulphide bonds are destroyed. 
• In a high-lift color or bleaching, 15 — 20% may be permanently broken. The destruction of disulphide bonds leads to the production of a new molecule called cystic acid. Although this is an inevitable side effect, an
•  An appropriate protein/moisture balance can be achieved through the Deep OVERNIGHT  THRIVEN + GLEAM Conditioning Treatments I preach about all the time.

I am a true believer that overnight DEEP Conditioning can solve/repair the disulphide bond breaking that occurs when lightening hair. I've colored 15,000 Heads of hair, so the proof of my theories are all from actual experience
I hope this helps you see now, why I say "lightening the hair" weakens the hair strands....while "same Level or darker" hair color "strengthens" the strands. Read the paragraphs over and over a couple times... it will sink in promise.THIS DOES  NOT MEAN YOU CANNOT LIGHTEN YOUR HAIR AND NOT HAVE HEALTHY HAIR !! It means, take precautions before lightening hair by using Lipid replacing oils with ZERO silicone's in them.

• If you understand how the hair gets damaged then it helps prevent you from damaging it, continuously.
• It's important to understand the individual components of hair coloring products and their primary functions.

Essentially, hair-color requires dye and developer to produce a result.

 
DYES
There are two general categories of dyes: oxidative and direct dyes. Oxidative dyes are extremely small colorless molecules that penetrate through the cuticle and into the cortex with the aid of an alkaline substance such as ammonia. 
Direct dyes are pre-colored molecules that coat the surface of the hair and do not require a reaction with hydrogen peroxide and these are called semi-permanent hair color..

 




DEVELOPER (HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

In order for oxidative dyes to form colored dye molecules, oxidation must take place.

 Oxidation is the chemical process of a hair-color dye reacting with a developer to form visible color. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is one of the most predominant oxidants used to develop color.

Hydrogen peroxide can be considered 'super-oxygenated' water, and is categorized by volume — most often 10, 20, 30, and 40. "Volume" refers to the 'volume' of oxygen gas contained in one 'volume' of hydrogen peroxide. It is a measure of concentration.

Each volume corresponds with a percentage level as follows:

Developer (Hydrogen Peroxide)

Volume Percentage of H202 Lifting Ability

10 Volume or 3% Deposits only
20 Volume or 6% Lifts Up to 1 level

30 Volume or 9% Lifts Up to 2-3 levels

40 Volume or 12% Lifts Up to 3-4 levels ......................Memorize these - its easy
 
 

Lower volumes of developer are used for minimal lift and staining techniques. Higher volumes are used when increased lifting of the natural pigment is desired.

Hydrogen peroxide has a dual purpose in the hair-coloring process. First, it reacts with the melanin, breaking down the natural pigment and lightening the hair. This is what is referred to as 'lift'. Second, hydrogen peroxide develops oxidative dye molecules creating 'deposit' into the protein structure of the hair.

Really sit and think about the fact that we can change our hair color any color in the rainbow and beyond. . .  it truly is a magical time for hair color and I love it ! 

Hope This Helps

Hydrogen Peroxide Speaks Volumes !....Hair Color Can't Live Without It

Hydrogen Peroxide / Developers

Let me bring the concepts down … to the planet, a lot of this may seem unnecessary and strange sounding but everything needs to be taught and understood for those of you wanting to professional hair color at home front. All of the info talked about, needs to be said ...so I can refer to it as I head deeper into teaching hair coloring at home, be patient. If you want to learn information that would cost a tremendous amount of $$ plus years of experience, just read and re-read every post. I am teaching all our secrets - I don’t know a soul that would do that.}

Getting down to the nitty-gritty > to make a batch of haircolor to put on hair, this is the picture: You have a bowl…a tint brush …on one side of the bowl is some color ….squeezed out of a tube…on the other side of the bowl…..Is the “white stuff”…..which has no smell until the 2 substances are combined…then POW- mix the 2 things together and it explodes in aroma and changes hair color .

That white stuff is the Developer …or Hydrogen Peroxide. I snicker when I hear that some new hair color is great & wonderful because it doesn’t use peroxide. To me….as a chemist….as a Colorist…the last thing on the planet I would want would be a hair color that does NOT have hydrogen peroxide in it ! 

The only hair color that does not work with Developer is SEMI-Permanent Hair Color

A developer is an oxidizing agent that, when mixed with an oxidative hair color, supplies the necessary oxygen gas to develop color molecules and :

create a change in hair color

Developers, also called oxidizing agents or catalysts, having a pH between 2.5 and 4.5 . Although there are a number of developers on the market, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is the one most commonly used in hair color.

VOLUME is the measure of the potential oxidation of varying strengths of hydrogen peroxide. The lower the volume, the less lift is achieved; the higher the volume, the greater the lifting action. The majority of permanent hair color products use 10 ,20,30,40 Volume hydrogen peroxide for proper color development.

One of the best little tricks in the world of developer are TINTED versions, in other words we have Blue and Violet Tinted Developers in 20 And 40 Volume which helps when needing any sort of warmth reduction ( too much brass/blorange/Gold) if those are your problems give either Blue or Violet Developer a try.

Which Developers Are Lighter & More Liquidy, I Have Thick Yet Baby Fine Hair ?

A recent question from one of our many readers which I do appreciate. They always make me realize that this Blog will never be over ! There are hundreds, even thousands of additions to be answered  and discussed still. 

Always lovely to know !

Developer or H2O2, hydrogen peroxide is the white creamy liquid which is necessary in order for the hair coloring process to take place. Without it there would be absolutely NO lightening happening. It is THAT important, yet when I speak to people even many of you stylists you are afraid of the topic. There really is no need to be afraid of Developer. It is merely 1 molecule away from water! We all know how harmless and how good for us WATER is ??!! 

Right?

Hydrogen peroxide IS Developer. 2 words for the same thing!

Our bodies even produce hydrogen peroxide!

Hydrogen peroxide, the same mild acid that many people use to disinfectant their kitchens or treat cuts and abrasions, is also produced by the body to keep cells healthy. Now, researchers have solved how part of this complex process works.

 Hydrogen peroxide doesn't just come in bottles from the drugstore -- the human body makes it as well. Now researchers from North Carolina State University have found a way to use naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide inside cells to switch on gene expression. Their method also serves as a highly sensitive hydrogen peroxide detector, which may help scientists determine the molecule's role in cellular health and disease says Science Daily.

In a normally functioning cell, hydrogen peroxide serves as a messenger, carrying signals through a cell in order to allow the cell to respond to external stimuli or events. Once the message is transmitted, the hydrogen peroxide diffuses and disappears.
"It's an ideal messenger compound, because it's small, fast, and doesn't linger," says chemist Alex Deiters. "It works by oxidizing, or modifying, certain amino acids in proteins, which affects the protein's function."

 For example, when the immune system is activated in response to bacteria, large amounts of hydrogen peroxide are produced by certain cells to fight the infection. Lowther and colleagues studied how a molecule known as peroxiredoxin (Prx) helps control levels of the agent. The role of Prx is important because if the levels of hydrogen peroxide become too high, the cell's DNA and other proteins can be damaged. Scientists suspect that this and similar processes are what leads to cancer, diabetes and other disease.

Prx actually has a dual role in the process. Its usual job is removing excess hydrogen peroxide from the cells by converting it to water. But if levels get dangerously high -- and Prx needs help -- it becomes inactive in its "converting" job and instead becomes a "signaler," telling the cell to produce or activate other proteins to help remove the excess.

"It basically acts as a sensor and warns the cell that levels are too high and that the cell needs to respond," said Thomas J. Jönsson, Ph.D., lead author, and a post-doctoral fellow at Wake Forest. "Once that threat is gone, Prx needs to go back to its normal state."

I want everyone to understand Developer so you are not afraid of it, once that happens you will welcome the use of it and all the wonderful things it does. If our bodies did not make hydrogen peroxide we would not be alive.....so welcome it and welcome what it 
does.........Please

I also want you to know before I learned all of this I felt the exact same way, I don't know if its the name, or what....? But just the name peroxide used to conjure up horrific things in my mind. I have NO idea where it came from either..... so I am just trying to speed up the process for all of you to accept and love the wonderful little miracle called Developer!

Now, to answer your question on thick or thin..... that does not have anything to do with how it works. 
What it does affect is personal preference. 
Some people like the mixture to be runny, some like it to be thick. But what you will find being as I have worked with over 40 lines of color in my days is this...........
If the color in the tube (no matter "what brand") is on the thicker side, then their developer will be runny. 
Such as Wella's, Schwarzkopf's, Kenra, the most runny is our Violet colored developer. I actually feel it is SO runny I mix it with LANZA which is the thickest to include in our OIL BLEACH KITS, which I am just so proud of. These kits really do wonders for the hair if you are blond!

So your question as to runny or thick? That really is a personal preference. Colorists who do a lot of foil work do not like runny, because runny means the liquid will expand as it develops and then pop out of the foil leaving what we used to call "bunny trails" on the hair (or spots!) I'm sure everyone has either had them or seen them, they come from runny developer. 

The advantage to thick developer, like LANZA, which is clumpy almost....is, it has the "good alcohols" in it. Those good alcohols have one chance to get inside that hair strand and that is when the strand is open and hair color goes in, so that is the advantage of that particular developer over a thinner one. 
Personal preference?
 For me, I love Schwarzkopf's blond developer it is medium thickness and has an oily quality to it so it is very smooth to work with. But again ...........it depends on what you are mixing it with and if you are doing a root touch-up or foil work! To me the thickness of the hair shouldn't matter. 


KC

Developer, Developer.......: Which Hair Color Developer Shall We Use???

Developer has always taken a 2nd seat to its big brother HAIR COLOR in this whole process, when actually it is just AS important as! 

I wanted to add a little something to this previous post....a lot of you think that 40 Volume is stronger than 20 Volume .If you look at the ingredient label on a 10 Volume and on a 40 Volume they both will say the exact same thing : H2O2 or hydrogen Peroxide. What is different in these various developers is "time" not strength. To explain that further check this next section out :
 
10Volume - 1/2 Level  LIFT
20Volume - 1 Level.....LIFT
30 Volume - 2-3 Levels LIFT
40 Volume - 3-4 Levels LIFT

the Volume doesn't stand for strength it stands for time.........
Do you cook? or bake?
you know how you make a dinner and try to have everything done at the same time so you can all sit down to a meal at 1 time and eat ? Its sort of that same theory....

That's kind of what various developers are for.......
When I start a head of highlights (for example) I will begin using lightener with 20 Volume half way through I will make up another batch of lightener and developer only this one will have 30 or most times 40 Volume and do the remaining hair with that) - that will make it so when we go to the shampoo bowl and rinse the color out ALL THE COLOR WILL BE EVEN, many times Colorists won't do that and YOU end up with 2 different colors .Its not that 40-Volume is stronger - its "TIME" based 40 volume works twice as fast in minutes not in strength. Don't be afraid to use the proper developer, when you do your hair color will come out more correctly. 

I cannot say it enough when you are trying to perfect your formula : STRAND TEST ! Never test a formula on your entire head of hair when it is so easy to do strand tests. We even make Kits, if you purchase over $50.00 you may request 1-2 complimentary Kits !

Educating you how to color hair Professionally, learning to deal with developers is very important as it is the key to perfect & even color, color that lasts a long time and most importantly gives you the exact color you desire with no DURP ! It can be done and it can be done when you learn how to deal with H2O2

There are many things that effect which developer one should use and I will write on it until I feel I have covered it enough for you. Please ask questions here or join our group if you plan on becoming a customer of our store.( We carry a super wide variety of Developers BECAUSE I feel they are so very important.) 

5 years ago there were 4 developer strengths: 

1. 10 Volume 
2. 20 Volume
3. 30 Volume
4. 40 Volume

This is what we have now:

1. 3 Volume
2. 5 Volume
3. 6 Volume
4. 7 Volume
5. 9 Volume
6. 10 Volume
7. 13 Volume
8. 15 Volume
9. 17 Volume
10. 20 Volume
11. 25 Volume
12. 30 Volume
13. 40 Volume
14. 50 Volume...............and now we carry the "Violet Tinted Developers (to prevent Brass, Blorange & Gold in Blonde's!) in 3 levels
15. 20 Volume/violet
16. 30 Volume/violet
17. 40 Volume/violet

I will say that I do enjoy having that selection now as it now handles everything and anything a Colorist could want to do. I have no problem using different brand developers with different hair color's, I suppose it is a personal selection as to which way you go but...I prefer the most moisturized, many have oils in them now...seems like someone has been listening to my ideas. Or maybe its just a dream. ! ! !
                           
  TEXTURE
Hair texture is determined by the diameter of the individual hair strand. Large,medium, and small diameter hair strands translate into coarse, medium and fine hair textures, respectively. Melanin is distributed differently within the different textures. The melanin granules in fine hair are grouped more tightly, so the hair takes color faster and can look darker. Medium textured hair has an average response to hair color product and finally coarse-textured hair has a larger diameter and can take longer to process. 

                        Therefore............
FINE HAIR: takes color faster
MEDIUM HAIR: takes color at an average amount of time
COARSE HAIR: takes longer to penetrate so therefore color's slower 

DENSITY............Another aspect that plays a role in hair coloring/developer, you must remember is density, which is the numbers of hair per square inch......... which can range from thick to thin. Density matters as it affects 'coverage'. If your hair is dense that means it is difficult for that liquid (hair color & developer combined) to weave its way through the individual hairs. 

Remember all our recent conversations about using a Tint Brush versus a Bottle?  { WELL THIS IS EXACTLY THE REASON FOR THAT ! }. Dense hair needs a brush,ALWAYS. other wise there will be uneven waves of color throughout the hair - make sense??!. 

You would always want to use the lowest Volume of Developer possible [ that works for your particular procedure of course...] and there are "lighter or more liquidy developers which I would suggest to use - - if you do have dense hair. For those with average to thin hair I still would advise to use the developer with the most conditioners, the most moisturizers ,etc.. as possible - use our new SPRUSH. they really are worth it.


POROSITY
Porosity is the ability to absorb liquid, porous hair accepts hair color faster and permits darker color than less porous hair. There are different degrees of porosity.....
low porosity: the cuticle is tight>the hair is resistant. which means it is difficult for moisture or chemicals to penetrate & requires a longer processing time. an example of resistant hair ? Gray hair.
average porosity: cuticle is slightly raised, hair is normal and processes in average time.
high porosity: cuticle is lifted;hair is over porous and the hair takes color very quickly <> color also fades quickly

So this is the beginning of an in depth study on developers ( although you can only go so far)...............but see what is funny this graphic below was made 7 years ago and that was the total extent of developer Volumes we carried   ! ! ! !

More coming on this

Haircolor's Best Friend : Developer

H2O2 = Peroxide = Emulsion = Developer : What it is and Why You need to Love It

 One of our illustrious readers asked a question about 'developers' and how they worked... and in the process of attempting to send her a link to a Post I had written I discovered there were none !  

Are you kidding me, no wonder some of you have been having a hard time with formulating ....THAT subject is "key" to having some "A-Ha moments"... OMG its up to you all to bring that missing subject to my attention. See how I turned that all around and blamed you, instead of me ! Ha, I am completely sorry, my bad and all that ! You will now learn more than you ever wanted to learn about developers that are half of the entire process of coloring your hair whether it be light or dark.    

A couple blips from research on the web as far as what H2O2 is  & is used for :   

                        

.... Peroxides are found in nature and it is 100% true, they are. So Peroxide is a completely "100% Natural " product. So many of you are looking for "natural" products and want "natural" hair color. Well, using Developer (peroxide)is natural...

.... The main usage of hydrogen peroxide is in production of chemicals (approx. 40%), bleaching pulp and paper (approx. 30%) and bleaching textiles (approx. 20%). Small quantities are used in cosmetics. Hydrogen peroxide is used for hair bleaching and for oxidation in permanent hair dyes and in oral hygiene products such as mouth-rinses and dentifrices as well as in tooth bleaching products.  
So those of you worried about putting it on your hair...you have been putting it in your mouth for years --- get over it...

OK... now for the grass roots explanation and what you will need to know for coloring your hair! 1995: Sassoon declares that the use of the term: Developer will now be used exclusively for all Peroxides. For some odd reason Americans get nervous with the term: Hydrogen Peroxide / or Peroxide ... so to not have anyone nervous we will now be calling it developer. Got it.

 For this Post we will refer to those tubes of color you purchase and are in those Swatch Charts, as 4 different names, in order to get you used to what they are called. They do not have 1 name. 

They are referred to as all of these names:

1. Tint
2. Colors
3. Highlift Tint
4. HairColor

Hydrogen Peroxide :Technical Description

A developer is an oxidizing agent that, when mixed with a oxidative hair-color, supplies the necessary oxygen gas to develop color molecules and creates a change in hair color. Developers, also called oxidizing agents or catalysts, have a pH between 2.5 and 4.5. Although there are a number of developers on the market, hydrogen peroxide  (H2O2) is the one most commonly used in haircolor.

VOLUME : is the measure of the potential oxidation of varying strengths of hydrogen peroxide.
OK here it is: . . . .the lower the Volume ; the less lift is achieved ; the higher the Volume the greater the lifting action. Remember "lift" translates into the word "lighten" .... when going blond you want to "Lift" that color out of the hair so you may achieve a more beautiful shade of blonde. You want to "lift" out that darker color so that you can go PAST the brassy stage. The more lift the better for blonding. It is rare that there is too much lift, I can honestly say I don't think in all my years there has ever been one case of too much lifting. I know that would be one remarkable moment.

Actually that is one of the drawbacks of 'tint'...they just have not mastered getting a lot of "lift" out of hair yet.  Yet, do not get me wrong - the fact that 60 years ago someone discovered this marvel just blows me away ... STILL TO THIS DAY !  You apply Level 10 Blond + 40Volume to Level 7 dark blond (looks light brown) - and that tint combination "LIFTS 3 levels of color out of the virgin Level 7 hair and then DEPOSITS a tone to give it a nice tonal value as well. NOW THAT IS A COMPLETE AND WONDERFUL MIRACLE in MY BOOK !   Do not ever think that is an easy thing to accomplish. That miracle happens only and BECAUSE we have Developer.

So.......... Developer has created this miracle.

 

So when people tell me they have used 30 Volume when going blonde - -  I always cringe. Worried they will have landed at Brass and that is a tough color to get rid of. With Lightener it is not a problem.... because Lightener is not doing two things at once like tint.
Lightener is only LIFTING hair color out of the hair.
Lightener does not "lift" and "deposit" like Hair colors do.
Tint (haircolors) especially highlift colors have 2 jobs....all blonde colors when you are not using them as toners.... have to lift the dark color of the virgin hairout of the hair strands ( all of them) AND THEN... Deposit a Toner on top. I mean there is no incredible feat like that in skin care or in many other personal care categories that I can think of.

 I'm always stunned that so many of you are trying to color your hair and balk at using Developer.    WHY?
You have been gargling with it for years......Bleach your teeth? You have your teeth & mouth and are swallowing it all the time and you never put up a stink about it..That is much more invasive than haircolor. Using it, is a complete miracle....and if you don't want to be near it, then you need to just not color your hair.

Its so funny back in the Academy they had giant drums of 100Volume developer and we were all required to calculate and make gallon containers of 10 Volume 20 Volume, 30 Volume, 40 Volume. Now a days there is every variation in the world which only makes my formulating even more fun & complicated.....There is 3,5,6,9,10, &13 Volume for Levels available below 20....which classifies it as a DEPOSIT-ONLY Volume of developer. All the different Volumes makes for even more fun in personalized hair-coloring.
Here is a basic chart from the book used to study for the State Boards of California.
Oh how archaic this is!

 

This Chart is the standard chart from a long time ago before we began pushing the borders of hair coloring. It shows you how the developers were made to work. But in Chemistry (which is basically what hair formulating is) there are a set of rules with how each Level of colors were supposed to use. 

That is your first introductory Post on Developers, with a lot more to come, just give in and order yourself some hair color. Developer is not your enemy I promise you, it opens all the doors to achieving haircolor that is flawless. Yes, it took me a long time to realize that. Now I look at it with love not hate as I did when I didn't understand how hair color worked. I hope you will to. There will be more posts on developer and all I have learned about it.