Is it normal that i have a recurrant patch of itching skin?

So on my hands, I have this annoying patch of skin that flares up, on my right pointer finger. It gets insanely persistently itchy, then I get a load of thickened dry skin over the top of the area which then gets painful, while still itching. I lotion it constantly to no avail, and it goes away as mysteriously as it comes. Soap seems to aggrevate it.