Please see below for Important Safety Information.
For many people, finding that one person to share their life with is a lifelong search with the richest reward. Stephen Dimmick (he/they), a hair and makeup artist to the stars who has styled for Vogue, GQ, and Time, found his soulmate early in his life, but unfortunately, their time together was cut short.
Stephen was living his ideal life, finding success in his career and love life, but when his late husband passed away from cancer, he was hit with the grief anyone who's lost a loved one has felt. He wasn't sure if he would ever find another soulmate, let alone live his life again, but second chances are possible. Stephen sits with Out to share his personal journey with grief, rediscovery, and his second chance at love.
"After all of that time taking care of him and putting myself on the back burner, I would just wake up in the morning and look haggard," Stephen shares before his voice starts to break. "We age, but there's aging and then there's being annihilated by watching the person you're supposed to end up with since 17 just get devoured by a disease that you cannot stop."
Stephen found himself stuck in a rut with his grief, allowing the widow he became to identify who he was. He began to close off all the other parts of himself that made him happy, and he didn't like the person he was becoming. So, he made a change.
Photo courtesy of Stephen Dimmick
Stephen and late husband Jonathan South on their wedding day
"People can get trapped in being a widow, that's who they become. It's so easy for us to compartmentalize these aspects of ourselves because being a widow became a part of me," Stephen shares. "I think a lot of us, especially LGBTQ people, compartmentalize because we've had to do it as a defense mechanism to hide who we are. I've always been a seeker of life. And to do that, we have to live as a whole person and allow ourselves to still be all of the parts of who we are when experiencing grief."
Stephen opened himself up to the possibility of being the person he once was, but when he looked in the mirror, all he saw was a face worn away by grief. When he was cast in a BOTOX® Cosmetic commercial, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for Stephen to take another leap of faith in himself.
"BOTOX® Cosmetic didn't make the grief easier or the sadness easier, but in my mind, that was one of the tools that helped me personally see a little bit of the person I was before as it helped temporarily improve the look of my moderate to severe lines," Stephen says with a hard-won clarity.
Photo Courtesy of Stephen Dimmick
Soon-to-wed Stephen and Paul
By taking time for himself, Stephen was open to falling in love with his new partner, Paul, excited for their future.
"Paul and I are our future. We've been planning our wedding," Stephen shares with glowing warmth.
When asked about his upcoming wedding, Stephen makes it clear that the experience of being together outweighed a "perfect" ceremony.
"Our wedding is going to be really lowkey! Life happens outside of these moments that we put so much emphasis on, so that's what I try to do," Stephen says with a smile.
Through loss and grief, Stephen has come out the other side living life in a way he never thought he could. With his inspiring attitude and hopeful belief in the future, Stephen is back to living and loving, after loss.
Talk to your doctor about BOTOX® Cosmetic and whether it's right for you. There are risks with this product. The effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms.
Please see additional Important Safety Information Below.
BOTOX® Cosmetic may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. Get medical help right away if you have any of these problems any time (hours to weeks) after injection of BOTOX® Cosmetic:
* Problems swallowing, speaking, or breathing, due to weakening of associated muscles, can be severe and result in loss of life. You are at the highest risk if these problems are pre-existing before injection. Swallowing problems may last for several months.
* Spread of toxin effects. The effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas away from the injection site and cause serious symptoms including: loss of strength and all-over muscle weakness, double vision, blurred vision and drooping eyelids, hoarseness or change or loss of voice, trouble saying words clearly, loss of bladder control, trouble breathing, and trouble swallowing.
BOTOX® Cosmetic dosing units are not the same as, or comparable to, any other botulinum toxin product.
There has not been a confirmed serious case of spread of toxin effect when BOTOX® Cosmetic has been used at the recommended dose to treat frown lines, crow's feet lines, and/or forehead lines.
BOTOX® Cosmetic may cause loss of strength or general muscle weakness, vision problems, or dizziness within hours to weeks of taking BOTOX® Cosmetic. If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities.
Serious and/or immediate allergic reactions have been reported. They include: itching, rash, red itchy welts, wheezing, asthma symptoms, or dizziness or feeling faint. Get medical help right away if you are wheezing or have asthma symptoms, or if you become dizzy or faint.
Do not receive BOTOX® Cosmetic if you: are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX® Cosmetic (see Medication Guide for ingredients); had an allergic reaction to any other botulinum toxin product such as Myobloc® (rimabotulinumtoxinB), Dysport® (abobotulinumtoxinA), or Xeomin® (incobotulinumtoxinA); have a skin infection at the planned injection site.
Tell your doctor about all your muscle or nerve conditions, such as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome, as you may be at increased risk of serious side effects including difficulty swallowing and difficulty breathing from typical doses of BOTOX® Cosmetic.
Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including: plans to have surgery; had surgery on your face; have trouble raising your eyebrows; drooping eyelids; any other abnormal facial change; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if BOTOX® Cosmetic can harm your unborn baby); are breast-feeding or plan to (it is not known if BOTOX® Cosmetic passes into breast milk).
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Using BOTOX® Cosmetic with certain other medicines may cause serious side effects. Do not start any new medicines until you have told your doctor that you have received BOTOX® Cosmetic in the past.
Tell your doctor if you have received any other botulinum toxin product in the last 4 months; have received injections of botulinum toxin such as Myobloc® , Dysport® , or Xeomin® in the past (tell your doctor exactly which product you received); have recently received an antibiotic by injection; take muscle relaxants; take an allergy or cold medicine; take a sleep medicine; take aspirin-like products or blood thinners.
Other side effects of BOTOX® Cosmetic include: dry mouth; discomfort or pain at the injection site; tiredness; headache; neck pain; and eye problems: double vision, blurred vision, decreased eyesight, drooping eyelids and eyebrows, swelling of your eyelids and dry eyes.
APPROVED USES
BOTOX® Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to temporarily improve the look of moderate to severe forehead lines, crow's feet lines, and frown lines between the eyebrows in adults.
For more information refer to the Medication Guide or talk with your doctor.
To report a side effect, please call Allergan at 1-800-678-1605.
Please see BOTOX® Cosmetic full Product Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide.
BCT161130 02/23
