  We report on optical imaging studies of self-healing after laser-induced
photodamage in disperse orange 11 dye doped into poly(methyl methacrylate)
(PMMA) polymer. In particular, the high spatial-contrast image of the damage
track made by a line focus pump laser allows the recovery rates to be measured
as a function of burn dose using the relationship between transverse distance
and pump intensity profile. The time evolution of the damaged population
results in an intensity-independent time constant of {\tau} = 490\pm23 min, in
agreement with independent measurements of the time evolution of amplified
spontaneous emission. Also observed is a damage threshold above which the
material does not fully recover.
