I had one for years. Your fear is all in your head.
If you do get or make one however, two points to keep in mind. First, if your guard requires mounting and removal, or even flipping up and down, this alone puts your fingers far closer to damage than anything else. Every time you move it is one more time you could spaz out, hit and break it. So you've increased not decreased your risk.
And second, the whole point of the design, why you like the sound so much, is the cartridge body being so small minimizes resonance. That nude cantilever is where your presence, realism and feel is coming from. Nothing you stick on there can do anything but mess that up. And again, in the process, increase not decrease risk of damage.