Problem with fingers, please assist?

Last year I started a cookery course and straight after that, I started getting sort of hard skin and bit of tears (not cuts while cooking) in my thumb and indexing finger of my right hand. after using so many creams, bandages etc, the problem goes and comes back again. been more than one year. doctor says it would never go away. it will keep coming back. finger/s start looking better and than there is sort of inflammation followed by a very very small tear and it hurts. could somebody kindly assist me about what is this? why is this? (it does hurt and humiliate in front of other people) and how to get rid of this problem permanently? Please !