Thank you for your question on dark eye circles. I am starting to see increasing numbers of young patients like yourself at my clinic with problems of dark eye circles or eyebags. Indeed, this is a real problem that is not just confined to older patients and I understand the frustrations the come with it.
There are numerous causes for dark eye circles - skin pigmentation, thin eyelid skin, prominent orbicularis oculi muscle (muscle under the eyelid skin) , stress and allergies to just list a few. As you can probably start to see, the problem of dark eye circles is actually quite complex. To treat the problem, we have to identify the underlying cause for the dark eye circles. Usually, the dark eye circles would be due to a combination of these factors leading to increased increase blood flow to the underlying muscle, which shows up through the thin lower eyelid skin.
Staying up late does contribute to this increased blood flow due to the increased stress you have placed on your body. You have done the first right step which is to change your habits and improve your sleep hygiene.
The other treatment options that may help include eye creams, minimally invasive procedures such as resurfacing lasers, injection of fillers or structural fat grafting to the lower eyelid. These have to be tailored to the individual patient. If you haven't already, then speak with an experienced plastic surgeon to examine you and review options with you in person.
I hope I have answered your questions. Have a great week ahead!
