brown cracks on fingertips

[youngmomof1]

For the past month or so my fingertips have been cracking & feeling extremely dry. Over the last couple of weeks the cracks have begun to turn brown. When I first noticed the brown in them I thought dirt or paint was trapped in the cracks. However, I have scrubbed with soap & exfoliants and the brown will not go away. Upon further examination I noticed that the brown isn't deep inside the cracks. It appears to be just lining the top part of each crack. The dryness of my fingertips has become painful & burning. I have tried lathering with lotions & oils but they seem to resist any kind of aide. I do live in Maine where its very cold & we have a wood stove in our home which I know causes my skin to become very dry every year. This hasn't ever happened though. Does anyone know what this could be & how I can remedy it? I tried googling the issue but it seemed like every time it started talking about the cracks turning brown it was stating that Caucasian skin cracks would turn red & people of color would be the ones with the brown cracks. I, however, am a Caucasian female. Any help would be greatly appreciated!