Looks better now, but the back looks the same. My crown area is so stubborn as well. The way I see it is, the crown was the last to start thinning, so it'll be the last to come back. My hairline/temples were the first to start thinning, so they are the first to come back. That is just what I tell myself to give myself an explanation as to why i'm getting better thickening in the front and temples than my crown. Looks like you have the same situation.
Shaving does absolutely nothing negative to your hair follicles, roots, or scalp. In fact, it may even make your hair loss less noticeable because when you shave it down, say to a 1 guard, you blend the hairs together.