Beauty and Safety at Horacio’s Beauty Salon 

Horacio’s Hair Salon on Silber Road in Spring Branch is an LGBTQ-owned hair salon that specializes in fabulous color and a friendly, safe, space for all.

Horacio Macedo, originally from Mexico, was a teenager working construction here in Houston and struggling with his sexual identity. It was a hard life.

“I didn’t want to be outside all day, it was hot, it was sweaty,” the 35-year-old stylist recalls. “I was just 17 and my hairdresser told me I needed to get a job indoors, he said he thought I would be good at doing hair. I didn’t even know how to braid hair, let alone cut or color!” But turns out he was right, and Macedo is a natural at hair.

“It changed my life,” he says. “I hated my job, and I was struggling with my sexuality. Once I started doing my first client’s cut, everything changed. I’m gay, I’m happy, I love my life and I want everybody to be comfortable and happy. Most of my clientele is gay, I have another gay stylist here and a trans stylist.” But everyone is welcome, even when they’ve not been made welcome elsewhere.

One of his clients, for about a year, a trans man who goes by Moon, sums up what Horacio’s Hair Salon means to him.

“Getting my hair cut has become an affirming journey of self-expression for me,” he says. “Unfortunately, my early experiences in most barber shops were far from welcoming. However, everything changed when I discovered Horacio’s Beauty Salon, thanks to a fellow member of the LGBTQIA+ community who recommended him to me. My self-assurance has skyrocketed by being in Horacio’s chair, and I eagerly anticipate each haircut appointment, knowing that Horacio consistently delivers exactly what I envision for myself.

“Entering Horacio’s salon is a liberating experience, as I’m free from concerns about pronoun usage, uneducated questions, or mistreatment. At Horacio’s, I never have to worry about those things. I also never have to worry about how I’ll look when I leave his chair because he collaborates with me and makes sure I’m happy with the results—not to mention, I get so many more compliments on my hair since I started seeing Horacio for my cuts! 

“Online, I see the posts from other transgender friends who continue to face challenges in conventional barber shops and salons. I wish they could all experience sitting in Horacio’s chair! I really can’t express how much grooming has changed from a chore to one of my favorite aspects of self-care thanks to Horacio.”

Besides cuts, Macedo’s specialties include color and extensions, updos, and even makeup. He also has his own line of haircare products.

Macedo is a single, 35-year-old man, and when not at the salon he enjoys the gym, the park, hanging out with friends, and just being social. That’s why he treats every client like friends and family.

“You will feel very welcome in my salon,” he says. “You will feel like family, you will feel safe and comfortable. It’s a simple thing, getting a haircut. It shouldn’t be hard; it shouldn’t be stressful.”

Horacio’s Beauty Salon is a bit of a rarity outside the traditional LGBTQ bastion of Montrose, but he has clients who come from all over Houston and the surrounding areas.

“Horacio is such a beautiful human inside and out, and I hope more of our community will be able to find him,” says Moon.

Horacio’s Beauty Salon
1503 Silber Road
832.316.9216
Follow Horacio’s Beauty Salon on Facebook Horaciomacedo88