What Causes Dryness And Skin Cracks On Fingers?

At 55, a normally winter dryness with occasional skin cracks on my fingers, has become constant and worse - no matter what type of skin cream I use, my fingertips have begun to peel and crack easily and it's very painful. It's been a stressful couple years, but I eat healthy and take reasonable vitamins, maybe I don't drink enough water daily. What is going on with my fingers and how do I get back to "normal"?