Finger tip sharp pain

[cramp]

Been playing electric on and off for 30 years, but for the last year have been playing every day for an hour or so..

A few weeks ago I was doing some slides while using an unfamiliar chord shape (so pressing quite hard) and got a sharp pain in my third finger tip. It felt like a cut or split skin and as I have dry skin that cracks in cold weather thought no more of it
It took a few days to subside but now 3 weeks later as soon as I press a string hard it comes back - I can also get the pain by pressing the finger tip with my thumbnail. To a lesser degree I have it on little finger as well.
It's one tiny area that hurts, between 8 and 9 o'clock on the tip looking down.
My technique is not so good at using the tip area I know - I'm often on the pads of those fingers...

I've googled and it seems some people do get this from time to time, reasons being:
metal splinters off old strings (seems unlikely, though my strings are 2 years old)
nerve damage that should heal over time
I am trying greasy hand cream to repair the skin but not sure if it has any effect

The sharp pain is acting as a stop on enthusiastic playing !
Anyone come across this or have any ideas how to heal it?

[RolandG]

This happened to me once. At first I thought it was a metal splinter, but I couldn't see anything, and it didn't quite feel like a splinter, so I assumed that I'd torn something. It went away after a couple of weeks, so I assumed I was right.

[cramp]

I caught the fingertips under a bright light this morning and I can see the skin has split along the finger print lines - hard to see and it's a very fine crack, but enough to hurt.
I guess the longer playing I do now makes the fingertip harder, but harder makes it more prone to crack.
So greasy hand creams it is.. and of course manly ignoring of the pain..