What is a Man Bun?

​This week, Groupon's promo [re]stirred the "man bun" craze.  So for those who aren't exactly sure what a man bun is, let's start with a definition.  A bun is is a type of hairstyle wherein the hair is pulled back from the face, twisted or plaited, and wrapped in a circular coil around itself, typically on the back of the head or neck... according to Wikipedia.  A man bun, therefore, is a man who sports such hair do.  

Here are some historical and celebrity figures who have sported man buns:
1. Terracotta Worriors
2. Samuri Worriors
3. Buddah
4. Chris Hemsworth (pic)
5. Leonardo DiCaprio
6. Brand Pitt
7. Wannabe Hipsters (aka interns) at ManPossible 
etc. etc.
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We try to bring you interesting grooming (and lifestyle) stories from around the world.  So when we ran across this article, originally appeared on NPR, we had to share it with you.... especially since MP loves our 4 legged K9 friends.  

The original article can be found here at For Taiwanese Dogs, Being Square is Stylish.

In Taiwan, it's not enough just to get your dog groomed regularly. These days, owners are asking for their four-legged friends to become geometric shapes, like spheres and squares. I first saw the trend this spring, when adorable creatures with heads styled into perfect squares started showing up across my social feeds.

So to really see the square cut done right, I had to see it for myself. With the help of local producer Fanny Liu, we went to the man who made it a viral sensation. He's Mo Ming Fung, or Xiao Mo. And he runs a grooming shop that's become ground zero for special-request cuts.

On this day, we have a front-row seat as he styles an 8-year-old Bichon Frise named Tang Xiong Xiong. If done right, her head will go from a white puff of fur into a precisely shaped square.
"I've just given her a blowout and am about to design the head shape," he says.

Xiao Mo takes his work seriously. He uses eight different kinds of shears and scissors to make the square shape. One of his special grooming scissors costs about $3,000. So getting your dog groomed by Mo will cost you, too — about $75 a cut.
He didn't become a master groomer overnight. Mo has spent the past 13 years perfecting his skills, grooming dogs' heads into squares, spheres, triangles, flowers and, lately, pushing for even more possibilities.
"I want to improve my skills," he says. "These days, I'm working on cut in the shape of an [old model] Apple computer monitor, which looks round from the back. I want to perfect it, so I won't start teaching others until I think the style is ready."
Why did canine topiary become such a thing in Taiwan? Mo suggests it has to do with the country's low human birth rate — Taiwan joins Japan and South Korea as having some of the world's lowest birth rates — and the power of social sharing.
"Groomers have tried geometric shape styles before. But it started to attract people's attention this year, mostly because people posted photos on social media paired with interesting headlines," he says.
After a nearly 45-minute cut, our Bichon Frise's new 'do is done. Her owner, Paul Chiang, is here to pick her up. Xiao Mo carries her out with a giant pink bow on her collar.
"To be honest, I was a little afraid at the square design, that it might make her look odd," Chiang says. "But this is great, actually. I'm very impressed by the artistry of the groomer."
But what does the dog think?
"She's getting used to it, I think," Chiang says.
Her human friends certainly approve. Photos of Tang Xiong Xiong's new 'do end up fetching hundreds of likes on social media.

[Let us know your thoughts via comments below.]

by ManPossible
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Photos used under CC from Paul Stevenson

Very interesting.  If Shiseido can transform these high school boys into "girls", imagine what amazing possibilities it holds for you?... minus the 50 entourage of world's best makeup artists... Lol.  

So, what the heck is it?  Loofah or luffa is that dry mesh like sponge substance you may have seen in your girlfriend’s bathroom and/or at a spa lounge.  We’ll come back to it’s use (mostly scrubbing) in a second, but let’s tackle why it’s called a loofah / luffa?  According to Wikipedia, it’s a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the cucumber family.  When the fruit is fully ripened it is very fibrous.  The fully developed, then dried fruit / vegetable is the source of loofah / luffa.  It usually requires around 150 to 200 days to dry the fruit / vegetable.  You then, simply peel the skin.  Then abracadabra – you now have this magical scrubbing sponge for your grooming needs…  Essentially the scrubber is meant to exfoliate and lather suds around your body making it ever so soft. ​

A few tips – This all natural scrubber is biodegradable and is such a wonderful grooming product.  BUT, it is also a perfect home for the bacteria…. If not taken care of properly after each grooming use.  Here’s why.  Your loofah / luffa scrubs dead skin cells off of your body.  Likely, when you’re done scrubbing, most of you would leave it sitting in your bathtub or shower until next time.  Unfortunately, this is also the opportune moment for bacteria to party on your “love sofa”. 

So here’s what you should do in order to minimize your luffa from becoming the “love sofa” for the bacteria:

1. Let it dry – after each use (scrubbing), make sure you thoroughly rinse with warm soapy water.  Next, try to shake or squeeze out as much water as possible.  Then try to place it on a dry place (perhaps by the bathroom window) to completely dry until next use. 
2. Microwave it – did you know that you can microwave your naturally harvested loofah / luffa (but not the plastic mesh kind – which is usually coated with anti-microbial layer).  You can basically zap any bacteria, thereby eliminating it from ever cultivating it on the “love sofa”.
3. Replace it often – hey, if you ever decide to grow and harvest your own luffa, be sure to save a few to last you a whole year.  Then simply replace it regularly, while properly maintaining it between each use. 

There you have it ladies and gents.  You now know what loofah / luffa is, how to make one, and maintain its healthy use. 
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by ManPossible