Getting a perm or getting your hair relaxed is just styling your hair without tools. To me, it is a lot different than covering up your natural hair with a wig or using weave. A lot of wigs and weaves don't use the real texture of a black woman's hair either. I have seen some but it seems like a lot of it is actually horsehair. I have seen plenty that will actually use white woman's hair as well so that could be another reason too. It is certainly no easy task to take care of natural hair as a black woman so when it is healthy and looks good, I have mad respect for the ladies who do it.