When ever African American say perm then they are normally talking relaxer. In African Americans culture perm and relaxer is the same thing. In other cultures relaxer is the term used for straightening the hair. Perm normally means make hair curly.
Is A Relaxer The Same Things As A Perm?
A relaxer is more or less a straightener for your hair sometimes people use perm solution to do this or they use an actual straightening solution.