Spa Review: Shot Bar MedSpa Blends Cutting-Edge Wellness with Rock and Roll Glam
Shot Bar MedSpa
In Lindsey Subrinsky's office, a vibrant hot-pink frame holds the business cards of icons like Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Lindbergh, Howard Hughes, John D. Rockefeller, Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, and Henry Ford, alongside her dad Glenn Sikora's card from his scrap metal business and her own from Shot Bar MedSpa. I recently visited the spa for my first facial with Lindsey.
From Rock Clubs to the ER: Lindsey Subrinsky’s Journey to Launching Shot Bar MedSpa
The med spa’s decor includes art with bold phrases like “BE YOUR OWN DADDY MAKE YOUR OWN SUGAR” and “Stay awhile. But not too long. Don’t make it weird.”
Located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood at 2224 N. Clark Street, Shot Bar MedSpa is less than a year old, but already becoming a buzzworthy addition to the wellness scene. Lindsey has had two very different lives before getting into the health and wellness industry. First, she worked as a booker for rock clubs and managed bands – the rock n’ roll vibe is unmistakable the moment you walk in. The spa’s high-class punk aesthetic is reminiscent of a John Varvatos store, but its edgy flare is entirely unique.
The spa is filled with decor like pink tiger sculptures and features pink sparkling floors.
Instead of the normal, white, beige or stone look that I am so used to, the spa is filled with decor like pink tiger sculptures, pink sparkling floors, and art with bold phrases like “BE YOUR OWN DADDY MAKE YOUR OWN SUGAR” and “Stay awhile. But not too long. Don’t make it weird.” It is a place where you feel like you can be yourself. Often at spas I feel like I need to be quiet and on my best behavior when I walk in – akin to meeting my girlfriend’s parents for the first time. Here, I felt I could be myself from the moment I walked through the doors.
The second life Lindsey led was as a nurse practitioner in Detroit, specializing in the trauma unit at the ER. She also worked as a nurse on the front lines during COVID saving lives. Lindsey is still an active nurse practitioner. This is why Shot Bar Med Spa can offer services above and beyond what many offer. (Service options can be found on shotbar.net.)
Lindsey Subrinsky, Founder of Shot Bar MedSpa in Chicago
My Glo2Facial by Geneo Experience
Thanks to Lindsey’s medical background and her active role in the field, Shot Bar MedSpa stays up to date with all the latest technology, offering services and variations of treatments which I have not experienced before. The facial I received featured a three-step process and was performed with a Glo2Facial machine. The service combines noninvasive exfoliation to remove dead skin and then oxygenation to nurture your skin with hydration. Multiple serums are used, customized to be selected based on your skin type. I have been in Chicago for the past month working around the clock. My long hours, steady diet of espresso, and countless long walks in the cold have taken a toll on my skin, so I went with the package focused on hydration.
Treatment room at Shot Bar MedSpa
The service takes about 30 minutes. It’s totally painless and incredibly relaxing. I wish it lasted for longer. When that is the only complaint, you know you’re doing something right. As I write this, it’s about 6 hours later and my skin has felt the best it has all year.
I’m one of those men who always wear hats. Since I discovered the flat cap at 14 years old, it has been my thing. Most of my closest friends have never seen me without one and wonder if I even sleep in them. My perpetual hat use causes my forehead, especially around my hairline, to get extra dry and occasionally flaky. When I mentioned this to Lindsey, I learned that this is a common problem for a lot of men and one way to counteract it is to use a generous amount of thicker moisturizer at night. She gifted me with Elevai’s Enfinity which is a daily exosome regenerative serum which she sells at her spa. I just used the product for the first time and love it. I have a three-step morning skin care routine, but that’s it. I’m excited to add this to my daily routine and improve my issue with my constantly dry forehead.
If you are in Chicago or visiting, I can’t recommend Shot Bar MedSpa enough. Lindsey has created a community around her spa where everyone wants to pop in to stay, but not too long to make it weird.
“Stay awhile. But not too long. Don’t make it weird.”
An award-winning composer and musician, Alex Burke has been seen playing alongside Bob Dylan in his concert film “Shadow Kingdom,” on the MTV Movie Awards, the Tonight Show, and Michael Bublé's Xmas special on NBC. He has recorded with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, David Lynch, Fiona Apple, Margaret Cho, and composed music for numerous tv shows. When not in the studio or composing, he tours regularly where he frequents spas whenever possible.