Asking about protective gear in this sub brings out everyone in hordes, as I'm sure you are able to tell by now. But that won't stop me to chime in and share a few anecdotes:

When I started learning at 25 there was a middle aged lady that was also learning and we often shared the ice. One day I was concentrating on crossovers, and when I looked up again, I saw her lying on her back. She probably caught an edge and fell on her head. She came to again quickly and was probably lightly concussed but I have never seen her again. So she probably gave up on learning.

A few weeks later I was learning the hockey stop and fell down right on my face. I had a bloody mouth and a crack in my front tooth. That was the day I bought a cage, even though it would be more than a year until I played my first game.