Two years later, Nektalov closed his salon and returned to being Brookdale’s full-time, in-house stylist.
Barbara Fields, a former model and fashion entrepreneur, moved to Brookdale in June 2021.
She appreciates that, unlike other stylists shes worked with, Nektalov isnt a prima donna.
Some studies suggest maintaining a beauty routine as you get older can have positive effects on your mental health.
Doing so may have outcomes beyond the superficial.
Research has shown that having an active social life and consistent habits can reduce the risk ofdementiaanddepression.
Barbara Fields, a former model and fashion entrepreneur, moved to Brookdale in June 2021. She appreciates that, unlike other stylists she’s worked with, Nektalov isn’t “a prima donna.”
A standing appointment with a hairstylist offers both benefits.
Wendy Ceracche, a former schoolteacher, strikes a pose in a salon chair.
“[During COVID], I didn’t have to worry about any bombs.
Wendy Ceracche, a former schoolteacher, strikes a pose in a salon chair.
I counted my blessings.
And so I survived being quiet and isolated at home.”
Hiro Oka, an artist, enjoys a quiet moment in the courtyard.
Hiro Oka, an artist, enjoys a quiet moment in the courtyard.
And, just like for many people, the pandemic helped some of the residents reassess their priorities.
Her now-signaturepixie haircutis courtesy of Nektalov.
“So I gave up on it.”
Nektalov was born in Russia and began working in his parents' salon as a teenager before moving to the United States at 25. He’s pictured here with resident Sondra Green, a former drama professor at Vassar College, who counts Meryl Streep as a student.
That Ceracche brought in a photo of someone else as inspiration is out of the norm.
This is where Nektalov’s legendary patience comes in handy.
But it’s not always about re-creating favorite looks from the past.
Nektalov recalls a longtime client who was anatural redhead.
“I colored her hair until she was 100 years old,” he says.
“When she became 100, she decided to stop.”
He used his skills as a colorist to blend the red into hergray rootswhile they grew out.
The job of hairstylist in a senior living community is inevitably bittersweet.
That formerly red-haired client died about three years after Nektalov helped her go gray.
“They become family,” he says of his clients.
“It’s very painful when I [learn] somebody passed away.”
As they get older, some residents also move on to other facilities that offer more intensive care.
Nektalov says many of them ask him to come do their hair at their new place.
“My beauty rituals are so much a part of me…
I could never give them up.”
“I would venture to shave [his face], but sometimes it’s too much.
“My beauty rituals are so much a part of me,” says Fields.
“I could never give them up.”
