they/themRio Castañeda
Owner · Color Director
Opened Spectrum after a decade of watching friends get misgendered in salon chairs. Lives for a pastel melt.
Queer-owned · Montrose, Houston · Est. 2017
Every shade
of you.
Vivid color, gender-affirming cuts and big-energy glam in a salon built by and for the queer community. We price by hair, not gender — and we'll never get your name wrong.
4.9★612 Google reviews
9 yrson Westheimer
$0“men’s / women’s” upcharges
Pride all year✦Priced by hair, not gender✦Vivid & fantasy color✦Your name. Your pronouns.✦Gender-affirming cuts✦Big chops welcome✦Drag glam✦Queer-owned since 2017✦
A salon where you never have to explain yourself.
Spectrum started as two chairs and a pride flag above Westheimer in 2017. Nine years later we’re eleven stylists, three color bars and one very loud playlist — still queer-owned, still built around a simple idea: a great haircut shouldn’t come with a side of anxiety.
Book under the name you use. Tell us the hair you want, not the hair you’re “supposed” to have. We’ll take it from there.
Read our safe-space promiseWhat we do best
Four ways to light up.
01
Vivid & Fantasy Color
Neon, pastel, oil-slick, split-dye, full rainbow. Bond-built lightening so your hair survives the glow-up.
from $180 →
02
Gender-Affirming Cuts
Softer, sharper, shorter, longer — your transition, your timeline. Free 20-minute consult, private suite on request.
from $55 →
03
Curls, Coils & Texture
Dry curl cuts, big chops, silk presses and loc maintenance by stylists who actually trained for texture.
from $70 →04
Drag & Performance Glam
Wig cutting, styling and color for the stage. Show-day glam slots before Sunday brunch and Friday shows.
from $65 →
Hello, my pronouns are____ / ____
Our safe-space promise
Six things we never compromise on.
- 01
Your name, always
We ask for your name and pronouns once, save them to your profile, and never use anything else — not on receipts, not on texts, not out loud.
- 02
Hair-based pricing
Every service is priced by length, density and time in the chair. No “men’s cut” or “women’s cut.” Ever.
- 03
All-gender everything
Single-stall all-gender restrooms, unisex capes, and a front desk that will not assume.
- 04
Trained, every year
Our whole team completes trans-affirming and anti-bias training annually — stylists, assistants, front desk.
- 05
Private suite
A closed-door suite for first transition cuts, wig fittings, or any day you just don’t want the floor watching.
- 06
Zero tolerance
Harassment of any guest or staff member ends the appointment. We will always choose you over a sale.
The color wall
Fresh out of the chair.
The crew
Meet your people (pronouns included).
Eleven stylists, every one hired for skill and heart. Here are four you’ll meet first.
they/themhe/himDante Okafor
Texture & Loc Specialist
Starter locs, retwists, big chops and color on coils. Your scalp is safe with him.
she/theyMarisol Vega
Vivid Color Artist
Split-dye, oil-slick and anything sunset. Will talk you into one more color.
she/herKit Navarro
Gender-Affirming Cuts
Trans woman, wig whisperer, and the steady hand behind hundreds of first-transition cuts.
$38kraised for queer youth since 2019
Pride is a verb
Community & pride events.
Spectrum is a salon, a hangout and — a few nights a month — a party. Here’s what’s coming up on Westheimer.
Oct11
Coming Out Day Cuts
Pay-what-you-can cuts all day for anyone celebrating a coming out — first, fifth, or fiftieth.
Sat · 9a – 6pOct25
Drag Brunch Glam Hour
Wig sets and show-ready styling before the Westheimer brunch circuit. Mimosas on us.
Sun · 9 – 11aNov20
Trans Day of Remembrance
We close at 5p and host a candlelight gathering in the courtyard. All tips that week go to Bayou Pride Youth Collective.
Thu · 6pEveryWk
Free Affirmation Cuts
One free gender-affirming cut a week for trans and nonbinary youth 16–24, booked through our community partners.
Ongoing
Sample client reviews
Placeholder reviews for this design — your real Google reviews appear here.
Come as you are.
Leave as you’ve always pictured.
New guests get a free 15-minute consult and a complimentary bond treatment with any color service.