


Demipermanent dye uses a low-volume, mild peroxide developer (usually a 10 volume developer) to enable color molecules to penetrate and coat the surface layer of the hair cuticle - and just the surface layer. "The higher the volume number, the greater the lift." But a low-level developer, like a 10 volume, "allows pigment to deposit with no lift." "The degree of lift is dependent on the concentration of peroxide in the developer," she continues. Depending on the level of developer you use, it can also provide some "lift" or lightening of the hair. "Developers help open the hair cuticle, allowing dye molecules to penetrate," says Dobos.

The magic (er, chemistry) is in the developer. Demipermanent dyes fall somewhere in between.
