+1 on the helmet thing.
I've given up on east coast skiing, but ski as much as I can in CO, UT, NM and WY--I can't remember a time in the last five years that I've seen anyone without a helmet. There's a reason for that. Heck--my personal belief is that snowboards are even worse in that respect than skis, since when you go over the top after catching a heel-side edge, you're going get slapped down hard--culminating in the rear of your skull hitting the snowpack with considerable force. If you are skiing mid-east coast hills, that generally means hitting ice. Ice is about as forgiving as concrete.
Helmets are a lot cheaper than a trip to the emergency room (or worse).