chrome on rims peeling

Hi all,
In having new tires installed, the "tech" noticed the chrome peeling on the
inside of my rims, and, to a lesser extent, on the bead/sealing area. Upon
further inspection, even some of the spots on the outside are showing spots
of compromise.
Has any one else experienced this? I'm wondering the cause, and if there is
a fix. I had to take one rim back and get some rubber stuff "painted" on the
bead area to stop a slow leak, due to the rough surface from "peeling".
My car is an 86 300 SDL, 199K, I think these are the original 15" rims.
Thanks for any insights,
Henry