I became giddy with curiosity a few weeks back when reading a piece on Into the Gloss about the beauty escapades of Proenza Schouler’s CEO, Shirley Cook. The fashion insider advocated not washing your hair, claiming that in doing so her follicle woes had permanently vanished. She told ITG’s Emily Weiss that her tresses “don’t get greasy” and in lieu of shampooing she’s a fan of Moroccan Oil’s miracle treatments. So in an effort to rescue the few salvageable strands of hair on my head–those which haven’t been marred by daily attempts at undoing the Jew ‘do–I viewed finals week at FIT (where I’m a student) as the perfect opportunity to take “The Shirley Cook Challenge.”

Thanks to Weiss and Cook, you too have an excuse not to wash your hair, whether because of laziness, exhaustion, damaged tresses or, like me, all three. Luckily last week’s frizzy weather coincided with the 18.5 credits worth of exams I’d be taking, so in the name of research and necessity I put my locks up to Cook’s test.