A self-healing tribological surface comprises a shape memory material. The self-healing tribological surface can be used for recovering a scratches and/or indentations in the surface. Processes for recovering scratches or indentations generally comprises forming a shape memory material onto the surface; scratching or indenting the surface; and heating an area about the scratch or indentation, wherein a depth of the scratch or the indentation decreases after heating as compared to the depth prior to heating.